Meroby Elementary School, with assistance by the Oxford Federal Credit Union, worked together to make a donation totaling $522 to the Old School Food Pantry of Rumford. Standing behind the big check, from left, are Shannon Glover, director of the Old School Food Pantry, Monty the Moose, and Lisa Marston, marketing director at the Oxford Federal Credit Union in Mexico. Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times

A majority of the Meroby Elementary School student body enthusiastically raised their hands when asked how many donated tokens for their good conduct to be used to Pay It Forward. Each token was turned into a dollar by the Oxford Federal Credit Union, with a total of $522 donated to the Old School Food Pantry of Rumford. Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times

MEXICO — The good conduct of students at Meroby Elementary School paid off during the schoolwide assembly on December 2, with the help of the Oxford Federal Credit Union.
The result was a “big check” of $500 from OFCU plus $22 by the school to the Old School Food Pantry of Rumford to help them with their mission of making sure the people of the River Valley have enough to eat.
The effort is made possible from the Meroby Code, where, over the course of a month, students earn tokens while demonstrating code conduct like being kind, respectable, safe and responsible.
Typically, over the course of each month, they save up their tokens to use at the Pinto Store, where they can buy toys, games and special activities with staff members.
At November’s schoolwide assembly, students were invited to “Pay It Forward.” Students who earned tokens could choose to save them, as usual, or they could donate then to the Tokens for Turkey campaign. In partnership with the OFCU, each token donated would be turned into a dollar and then donated to the Old School Food Pantry.
On December 2, Lisa Marston, marketing director at the Oxford Federal Credit Union in Mexico, and their mascot, Monty the Moose, were at the school to donate the monies to Shannon Glover, director of the Old School Food Pantry.
Before the presentation, students who donated tokens were asked to raise their hands. A majority of the student body enthusiastically raised their hands.