From Fruit Cup Fridays to Veggie Wednesdays and Protein Mondays, students at Adams Elementary in Cary got a lesson in nutrition but also saw their food donations add up throughout November. After a month of collecting canned and dry foods, Adams parents and students delivered 1,300 pounds of food to the North Carolina Food Bank.

"We have a pretty high population of free and reduced lunch students, and we know that not everyone can afford monetary donations," said Adams PTA President Liz McCabe. "We know that while we need to teach about people around the world who are starving, there are people right here in our area who don't get enough to eat."

Adams Elementary just one of the many Wake County schools reaching out to families in need this holiday season. School counselors and PTA members in the area have organized food and toy drives to help make this year's holiday a good one.

At Olive Chapel Elementary in Apex, school counselor Alice Geiss said despite the economy, sponsors of the school's 14th annual toy drive have continued to dig deep to get everything on students' wish lists. "We are very fortunate; I've even had some parents who ask for another child to sponsor," said Geiss.

She said even community members who don't have a child at Olive Chapel have contacted her to help out. "A couple of years ago, we got a huge box delivered with eight presents inside. Someone had purchased gifts and dropped them off. I never found out who it was."

Geiss likens her office to the North Pole around this time of year, filled with presents before the parents stop by to pick them up.

Turner Creek Elementary's school counselor Tom Green has hosted a toy drive for many years, both at other schools and for the past eight years at Turner Creek. His wish lists include not just toys but also household goods families struggle to afford.

"I find out how many helpers we have early in the season so that it takes the guesswork out of what people can buy," said Green. "Then I conduct a pretty thorough interview with the parents whose families need help. We go over the needs and wants of the child as well as the needs of the home."

Green, like the others involved in organizing toy and food drives, has tweaked his process over the years. This year, he set up a Wiki Page where parents who have adopted a family can see the progress made on their lists.

"One of my goals is not to ask for more than our helpers feel comfortable giving," said Green.

Adams Elementary gave not only food this year but also toys through its Angel Tree program. "We had an overwhelming response," said McCabe. She assisted Adams' school counselor with organizing and streamlining the pick up process. This year, they even had 15 bikes to give away, one of the most popular wish list items.

"I think it's important for children whose families are doing okay to be aware that not everyone has a job or enough money to put food on the table or presents under the tree," said McCabe. "Many parents who gave probably feel like I do. It's nice to buy something for someone else that will bring a big smile rather than buying one more thing for my child."