This summer, 12-year-old Caleb Gleit and his sister Kira, age nine, are making more out of their time spent at the Tarry Crest Swim and Tennis Club.
Until July 17, the Gleit children are running a food drive to collect donations for the local Christ Episcopal Church/Community Coalition food pantry.
There is currently a collection box by the Tarry Crest gatehouse that the children frequently check before taking a dip. Caleb and Kira have been making and distributing flyers to try and spread the word about their efforts.
"We have about eight cans so far," said Caleb, "But we're going to make more progress. We're determined."
The children's mother, Kimberly Marcus, encourages her kids to get involved and give back to the community. She recently brought them to the food pantry where Caleb and Kira helped bag groceries that adults distributed to those in need.
"It was good for them to handle the food and pack it. It gave them a better understanding," Kimberly said.
The children's mother highlighted that the food pantry fed over 200 people in Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow just last month. She hopes that her children will work together to collect a decent amount of food that will help increase the number of people fed. Additionally, she hopes that running this food drive will teach her kids a lesson that is especially valuable in such hard times:
"It is important not to just think of ourselves," she said.
The driven Gleit children may extend their food drive if they believe it will significantly increase their donation to the pantry. They are hoping that Tarry Crest members, and anyone else who is willing, will drop off food donations in their box by the gatehouse.
"Any little bit helps," Kimberly said.
