Rifle Middle School PALS organize food drive

As the temperatures drop, the spirit of giving heats up at Rifle Middle School. For the last 11 years, the Rifle Middle School PALS has spearheaded a food drive that supports LIFT-UP and this year is no exception.

PALS stands for Providing Assistance, Leadership, and Service, and this year boasts 30 students. The students publicize and organize the food drive, and every morning for two weeks, the students collect the donated items from each classroom. The final delivery was made Thursday, November 17, just before Thanksgiving break.

“It just feels good in the heart to see how people like to help and to know you are helping others get food,” said RMS eighth-grader Adrian Ponce.

Eighth-grader Pearl Langstaff echoed the sentiment.

“Being a part of PALS is about service. And doing (the food drive) makes you feel good because you're giving people food. It's what they need.”

She added that the food drive is just one of the things PALS do around Rifle Middle School.

“We run concessions. We raise a lot of money for the school.  We help new students who come in and give them tours around the school. We put up the flags. We hold the doors open for students in the morning. We do a lot of jobs to help students and teachers feel welcome.”

The group is sponsored by RMS Dean of Students Kelly D’Avella.

“PALS is an opportunity for students to experience leadership opportunities at RMS and learn how to build relationships within teams, define identities, and achieve tasks effectively.  It also provides a chance to learn and display effective communication and interpersonal skills.  Students learn about Character traits and organizational and communication skills and experience leadership opportunities through volunteering, fundraising, and helping at the school.”

This year the students at Rifle Middle School, lead by the RMS PALS collected 24 boxes of food for LIFT-UP - a feat that Deion Martinez is proud of.

“It feels really good to help people, especially the ones who don't have as much as we do,” she explained. She encouraged any eighth-grade student that wants to have a deeper connection to their school to be a part of PALS.

“If you want to be a part of helping around the school when you get to eighth grade, you should consider being part of PALS, because it gives you a lot more opportunities that you wouldn't get if you weren't in PALS.”