HOWLAND — Students in a local school’s family and consumer science class had the chance to give back to veterans — in a very sweet way.

Students of Howland High School teacher Peri Graf’s Principles of Food and Global Foods classes spent several days baking hundreds of cookies and making greeting cards in special packaging for the 100-plus veterans who stop by Veterans Outreach in Liberty for their many services.

Graf, who has taught for over 35 years, explained she originally started with senior citizens in nursing homes who didn’t have people or family to come and visit them, doing mobile meals prior to that.

She started focusing on veterans in 2023 because she was aware of the lack of attention given to them, she said.

Graf explained her 117 students get to learn various skills from the experience, whether it be how to coordinate better with others, basic cooking skills or how to read a recipe closer, which she said has been an issue in the past.

“They just start throwing things in a bowl and you can’t do that,” Graf said. “So they’ve learned to, how do you want to say it? They’ve learned how to read and comprehend what needs to be done.”

She said they’ve also learned they can’t put metal bowls in the microwave.

With some parents not cooking at home for various reasons, Graf said some of the students already have applied their skills at home, making the same cookies they’ve made for the veterans.

Graf credited Debbie McCullough, a former Howland teacher, for making it possible for them to give to the veterans, as it helps to offset the costs.

“The cookies that are going out are paid for from an outside source; the cookies they (the students) get to eat are from their fees,” Graf said. “But they’ve learned a lot through this and they were really excited about all this; you can see the excitement.”

Teri Ely has served as the executive director of Veterans Outreach for the past 27 years. She explained that they gave out a majority of the students’ cookies Monday, although they also gave out some cookie bags Dec. 18 when they were initially dropped off by McCullough and her husband Bob, a Navy veteran.

Ely said she considers the donations to be a “win-win” all around for both the students and the veterans.

“The students are made aware of veterans that need to have some love from the community, some love and support, and knowing that people care and so that on their end, that’s a teaching situation for them and they’re young,” Ely said. “From our end, it’s great for the veterans; because first of all, they received some goodies which they all love (and) second of all they realize that the community does support them and care about them and knows about their plight and wants to help.”

And the students share that sentiment.

Paul Steider, a 17-year-old student in Graf’s fourth period class, said he enjoyed the fact that he was able to make something for a person in need.

“When you get to make things for people and you’re able to give them (something) knowing that you’re actually helping somebody who isn’t getting it from like, the government or anything, this is nice that we’re actually able to help people in a meaningful way,” Steider said. “Even if we’re just a school in Howland across from a Giant Eagle, you’re still helping people outside of it and across the state.”

“Knowing that I get to cook in school as well as being with friends is nice,” he added.

VETERANS IN NEED

Ely said they saw 74 veterans on their last distribution day.

Similar to nonprofits like Second Harvest, the accentuated need for supplies and goods applies to them, too.

“Men and women are veterans and they have families and utility costs are up. Grocery costs are up and income is about the same,” Ely said. “The need is higher than it has been in the past and at the holiday time, you know, they’re trying to save a little to buy gifts and you want to have a nicer feast.”

Ely said they’ve given away 145 turkeys over Thanksgiving and over the past few weeks leading up to Christmas, 120 hams. Different churches also have contributed, adding side dishes to their feasts, she added.

Ely said they’ve been told their food pantry is “just enough” to last many veterans until the end of the month.

“So many of them live on a monthly fixed income, and if something unusual happens, like you have to fix your car or repair something at the house, that’s not in the budget and then that throws everything off,” Ely said.

Steider said that among the skills he’s learned from baking for the veterans, he learned that he needs to be aggressive with cookie dough and that he normally plays with it like a soup.

He’s also learned the value of being patient with people and being able to read recipes, he said.

“If you’re not patient with people, really bad things can happen,” Steider said.