National Preschool Donates Thanksgiving Meals to East Windsor

There has always been something good about Thanksgiving time: sharing food, being thankful, and spending time with friends and family.

That's the lesson over 100 preschoolers at The Learning Experience in East Windsor learned this month as they held a food drive and filled up Thanksgiving meal baskets to donate to seven local families in need.

Preschoolers and staff collected turkeys, side dishes, pies, and over 150 cans of non-perishable items to donate to NJ Rise, a nonprofit organization assisting local families and individuals in recovering from setbacks and achieving their full potential. The Learning Experience in East Windsor also donated $15 grocery store gift cards to provide to each of the seven families they adopted during the food drive.

The food drive was part of The Learning Experience's ongoing philanthropy curriculum, which teaches the youngest of learners the value and application of helping others in class, at home, and in their communities. Through the philanthropy curriculum, children get to meet a pair of fun-loving characters, Grace the Greyhound and Charity Chihuahua, who show children that it's not how big or small you are, it's the size of your heart that matters. Monthly philanthropic and fundraising events are also held to help children understand what it means to give, share, and donate.

"Philanthropy is a keystone of The Learning Experience curriculum, and each month we focus on giving back to the community," said Sapna Gahlot, owner of The Learning Experience in East Windsor. "During November, children not only learned to say and sign the word 'philanthropy', but they also took action by participating in a food drive so that local families in need can have a special Thanksgiving meal."