SIDELL — When Jamaica Elementary School teacher Julie Norman told her fourth-grade class the district was collecting food to provide a Thanksgiving Day meal for local families, her students went to work.

Brittney Kirby went home and raided her grandma's cupboards for canned goods, Kacy Clarkston gathered boxes of cake mixes and Hamburger Helper and cans of soup from teachers, and Owen Carter and Kieler Bennett told their moms to go to Wal-Mart and get shopping.

"My mom got a big bag of canned food and noodles," said Owen, who along with Brittney, Kacy and Kieler has collected the most food for his classroom. "It was so heavy (that) she had to carry it in. And we're going to go get some more."

The district's third annual Thanksgiving food drive is going on until Nov. 18.

Students are collecting canned fruits and vegetables, canned soups and broth, boxes of mashed potatoes, stuffing and noodles, cans of pie filling and other nonperishable items such as peanut butter, macaroni and cheese, and Jell-O.

The food — along with meat, dairy products, eggs and bread bought with donations from staff and local businesses and organizations — will be given away to 30 to 40 needy families in the district on Nov. 21 in time for Thanksgiving.

The food drive, along with a clothing drive held in October, was started three years ago by teachers Casey Spesard, Heather Webb and Erin Pangburn.

"There's a need in our community," Pangburn said, referring to the rural southwestern Vermilion County district where nearly half of all students are eligible for free or reduced lunches. "We thought this would be a great way to help out and get the kids involved."

"The kids are thrilled to do it," added Debbie Ford, the elementary and junior high school secretary.

"They make it into a class competition," she continued, adding different classes are assigned to collect certain types of food. For example, kindergartners are collecting canned fruits and vegetables, first-graders are collecting peanut butter, jelly and apple juice, and fifth-graders are collecting spaghetti and sauce. "Each class likes to see how big their pile of food gets in their room."

This year, the district raised $90 at their clothing giveaway, Pangburn said, adding that recipients weren't comfortable with taking items for free. She said that money will be used to purchase meat for the food baskets.

The district has also received donations from Sidell Ag Service, Spicer Insurance, Casey's in Fairmount, Central Illinois Production, Country Countries in Fairmount, Premiere Cooperative, McDowell Builders, C&B Construction, Illinois National Bank, Fairmount Redi-Mix, C&R Ag, the Fairmount Women's Club and the Sidell and Fairmount United Methodist churches.

"We're just so appreciative of everyone's help, and so are our families," Ford said, adding each family gets a big County Market box packed with food. "They'll have everything they'll need for Thanksgiving. But we pack so much other food in there, too. Sometimes, it may last them a week or two."

Kacy and his classmates said they hope their class collects a lot of food. Individual students who bring in the most will win a prize, and the class that does will be treated to doughnuts.

"But I'm mainly doing it to help the people so they're not hungry," Kacy said.

If people would like to donate, they can drop off food or a monetary donation at the school, at 7087 North 600 East Road in Sidell.