If you asked Salem resident Anthony Bellomo what he wanted most for his eighth birthday, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Instead of gifts, Anthony, a second-grader at North Salem School, asked his friends to bring food donations to his birthday party. He and his friends then headed down to the Rockingham County Community Action Program, located on Lawrence Road, and brought in the food they collected.

Anthony thought of the idea after his mother, Linda Bellomo, showed him a Salem Observer newspaper article showing empty shelves at the food pantry.

“I looked at the picture and saw that they didn’t have any food,” said Anthony. “It made me think that they needed food more than I needed toys.”

With the holidays approaching and the country’s economic crisis affecting millions, more and more food pantries are in need of donations to help stock the shelves to meet the growing demand from area residents.

“I thought it was a great gesture and promising to see that young people are thinking about what we are facing in terms of poverty,” said Rockingham County Community Action Program Coordinator Brandi Bobusia. “It is inspiring that young people are taking action.”

The pantry serves Salem and 11 surrounding communities, and is currently providing food to some 40 households a month, most of which have children. According to Anthony, the pantry is always in need of donations, since most families are returning more often for food because of the economic climate.

“When I went there with the food, they said to me, ‘Wow, that’s a lot of food you got there,’” he said. “It made me feel like I did the right thing.”

His efforts aren’t stopping there. His mother will be taking him and his friends back to the pantry this week to help assemble Thanksgiving baskets for area residents.

Character Counts at North Salem School
Bellomo’s family may have given Bellomo the most precious gift of all – a strong foundation of morals and values, as well as the desire to help others. However, there is another effort going at Bellomo’s school that is also having a great impact on his charitable ways.

Bellomo attends North Salem Elementary School, where they have begun an innovative program that teaches ethical behavior in addition to academics.

The “Character Counts at North Salem” program was introduced into the school last year and is already having an impact on students, according to Principal Janice Wilkins.

The program provides teachers with tools they need to help strengthen students’ moral compass. Character Counts is centered on the six pillars of character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. The school’s guidance counselor teaches students all about each trait in the classroom and ways that they can live by the program.

Students will earn recognition when a staff member “catches” a student demonstrating one of these traits, according to Wilkins. Students receive special certificates and recognition during morning announcements, as well as their names in the newspaper.

Currently, the trait focus is on citizenship, which is exemplified best by Bellomo’s recent efforts.

“We are so proud of Anthony,” said Wilkins. “It was just so thoughtful. He has a big heart.”

Food drive
Another way the school is bringing the “Character Counts at North Salem” program to life is through charitable efforts such as the school’s annual food drive. This year’s donations far exceeded last year’s and Wilkins credits the “Character Counts” program for helping them achieve an overwhelming amount of participation.

The donations will be making their way to four area food pantries, including The Rockingham County Community Action Program, The Pleasant Street Food Pantry, St. Joseph’s Food Pantry and the Triumphant Cross Lutheran Church Food Pantry.

Our hallways were brimming with food,” said Wilkins. “It is my hope that through these character-building efforts at school, a sense of responsibility and caring carries over into a student’s everyday life.

As far as Anthony is concerned, he already has his sights set on his next birthday and said he has a whole year to think about which charity he will be helping next.

“I learned that there are a lot of people out there who don’t have a lot and they need our help,” he said. “I want to help others."