Friday, November 6, 2026
Students and staff at Davison Avenue School in Malverne are coming together to make a difference for children and families in need in Haiti through a schoolwide peanut butter collection. The initiative is giving students an opportunity to participate in charitable giving while helping provide food to those who may otherwise go without a meal.
The collection was organized by third-grade teacher Christine Stanton, who has worked with Our Lady of Peace Church on previous donation efforts through the school. After being contacted about another opportunity to help, Stanton agreed to organize a collection of jars of peanut butter that will eventually be shipped to Haiti.
The peanut butter will be given to Our lady of Peace Social Ministry & Franciscan Friars Suppliers, which goes to Haiti to make sandwiches for children and families experiencing food insecurity. The organization is able to prepare hundreds of sandwiches each day, providing an accessible and filling meal to those in need.
Peanut butter was selected because it is nutritious, contains protein, is filling and does not require refrigeration. Its convenience also makes it easier for the organization to prepare and distribute sandwiches to as many people as possible.
“It’s nice,” Stanton said. “It feels good to do something to help other people.”
Although the collection officially launched schoolwide last Monday, Stanton gave her own third-grade class an early announcement, and students had already donated 15 jars before the initiative began. The entire school was invited to participate, with the collection scheduled to run for one week.
The effort has also created a personal connection for some students, including children and families of Haitian descent within the school community. Stanton said several students were especially excited to participate because of their personal ties to Haiti.
“One of my students came up to me and said, ‘Mrs. Stanton, this is so great. We’re doing something really good to help other people. We’re do-gooders,’” she said.
The peanut butter collection is part of a larger tradition of charitable giving at Davison Avenue School. The school recently raised more than $1,000 for breast cancer fundraising efforts and is preparing to begin its annual Thanksgiving food drive following the peanut butter collection.
Through these initiatives, teachers hope to instill kindness, generosity and an understanding of the importance of helping others in their students. The goal is to show children that even small contributions can have a meaningful impact on someone else’s life.
For the students at Davison Avenue School, donating a single jar of peanut butter may seem like a small gesture, but for a child or family in need, it can help provide an important meal. The collection serves as another opportunity for the school community to come together and make a difference beyond its own neighborhood.
“A jar of peanut butter is not a huge thing, but for someone else, it can make a huge difference,” Principal Chineeka Davis said.
