Delaney Peters, 14, likes helping out people in need. So when the student council at Edwardsburg Middle School began organizing a drive to “adopt” six district families, she was excited to participate.

She shopped last week for boys’ toys, clothes, books and even cookbooks for one mother.

“It’s very rewarding,” the Edwardsburg eighth-grader said. “You get to help people you don’t even know.”

Edwardsburg teachers distributed toys, books, food and necessities like laundry soap and diapers to the families last week. Council members were given shopping lists for the families, and picked out their gifts at Meijer in Mishawaka, which also chipped in a $270 gift card.

The council solicited $2,600 in donations from middle school students in one week by using decorated canisters. How much each family receives depends on the number of family members and what is on their list.

Families must have at least one student who attends the school. The council members do not know which of their fellow students they shop for. Only the sponsors know the families, whose names are selected by counselors and nurses. The families are sent a letter from the school asking if they are interested in receiving the donations.

Teacher and student council sponsor Tonya Wright said the students have been organizing the drive annually for about eight years.

“I think it took a lot of responsibility,” Wright said of the council’s participation.

“They had to decide and budget,” teacher Claire Ziesmer said.