With Christmas approaching, many area residents are starting to prepare for their holiday dinners by going on trips to the grocery store and stocking their refrigerators. 

But some families won't have enough food for Christmas — or for the two weeks that their kids are out of school for winter break.

That's where students and staff at Greensview Elementary School stepped in. 

Three fourth-grade classes at the Upper Arlington school, along with help from principal Jason Wulf, raised $7,000 worth of food and materials for the Columbus chapter of After-School All-Stars. 

The nonprofit organization, which provides free after-school programs for children living in under-resourced neighborhoods, recently held a Winter Break Comfort Bag Drive for families in need at the Indian Meadows Apartments on the city's South Side and six Columbus schools.

The organization requested nonperishable foods, new winter gear and a family activity, such as a board game, to go into the bags. By the time it came to pick up supplies from the school last week, Greensview had put together more than 200 backpacks and grocery bags full of stuff, said After-School All-Stars Development Manager Renee O'Shaughnessy.

"When they (Greensview) said they're ready to be picked up, we went over with just our three little cars," she said. "And they said, 'You need a bigger car.' So, we ended up using a Realtor's truck to pick up all these bags. We were completely blown away and did not expect this." 

O'Shaughnessy said the nonprofit began working with Greensview a few years ago for a Thanksgiving meal drive, so she did not hesitate to contact the school for their newest initiative last month. The organization was also able to drop off 78 backpacks donated by the Football Parents At Ohio State to fill up with supplies.

O'Shaughnessy said the Winter Break Comfort Bag Drive was created to assist kids who struggle with food security over break

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Greensview fourth-grade teacher Michelle Johnson said the fundraiser started at the end of November and lasted until Dec. 3. Then, students and teachers took a field trip to Meijer to buy the food and supplies Dec. 10.

Fourth-grader Charlotte Chura, 9, said she collected items including bread, peanut butter, jelly and soup for the drive. She said she felt "joyful" when she saw the hundreds of items collected by her classmates.

"I felt happy, grateful," Charlotte said. "I felt a little overwhelmed because there was a lot of things."

Knox Walter, also 9, said he got his family involved in the fundraiser by having his sister and cousin accompany him around the neighborhood to ask for donations. In addition to collecting food, Knox picked out some blankets and Uno and Connect Four games for the families. 

"If I have more food than other people, like if they have barely any food, they might not be able to survive the winter," he said. "So if I can help them, then I'll do it." 

The Comfort Bag Drive also served as a lesson in homelessness and food scarcity for the students, Johnson said.

After-School All-Stars Development Manager Allison Ansari came in to talk to the fourth-graders about what their needs were and why children facing food insecurity needed help. Students then made presentations that they showed their families over Thanksgiving break. 

"Then they came back and they had strategies," Johnson said. "We had some kids make lemonade stands, some made baked goods to sell. We had some that their parents would double what they would make. So we had kiddos coming in here with almost $400."

The school ultimately raised $10,000. Almost $3,000 went towards the Land On A Cure Foundation, which is for a 5-year-old Upper Arlington child with a rare genetic disorder. 

Johnson said this is the most money the school has raised in the 20 years Greensview has organized a community service project. 

"We try to take kids' gifts and use them to show them what they can do for the world," she said. "Not just bringing cans to donate; it's become a true service project." 

Columbus City Schools sends home food for students who need it over winter break, according to district spokeswoman Jacqueline Bryant.

But another organization that is providing meals during winter break is the Children's Hunger Alliance. 

Cindi Marshall, vice president of development for the nonprofit, said it distributed meals Friday to children at Moler Elementary School in Columbus. The school has about 330 students, with the majority of them relying on the food they receive at school for breakfast and lunch, she said. 

The partnership is part of the nonprofit's Adopt-a-School pilot program, which provides weekend and school break meal boxes with ready-to-eat food. 

"What we try to do here at Children's Hunger Alliance is make sure when children that receive free and reduced lunch during the school day are out of school, either weekends or holiday breaks or summer, that we offer those ready-to-eat meals for them," Marshall said.

"We just want to make sure kids are fed."

Micah Walker is the Dispatch trending reporter. Reach her at mwalker@dispatch.com or 740-251-7199. Follow her on Twitter @micah_walker701.