La Crosse, Onalaska and Holmen school districts promote holiday food donations, money for special activities

School pantries in the La Crosse area are getting a boost in the weeks surrounding Thanksgiving.

The DBS Group joined with three districts on food collection efforts, which will take place through early December.

It’s a campaign appreciated by Kate Mattison, a social worker for the La Crescent-Hokah Schools.

“We were able to send a lot of food home with our students at the end of the school year last year, and so now we’re gonna be able to fill those shelves back up again this winter,” Mattison said.

The Onalaska and Holmen districts also will benefit from food donated to the School Pantry Stock-Up project.

La Crosse’s public schools are working with DBS on a different project, to bring more money to the arts and other special school needs.

The group has pledged $5,000 to what’s called the Level-Up Learning Challenge in La Crosse.

Chris Walters from DBS said the new effort grew out of last year’s food collection promotion.

“The school district of La Crosse participated in the school pantry stock-up last year,” Walters said, “and talking to them, they indicated that there were alternate needs that were more important for this year.”

La Crosse Superintendent, Dr. Aaron Engel, said the fundraising will help support many of the special programs offered by the local schools, including arts and music activities.