Imagine if every kindergartener, first or second grader knew that they could make a difference during the holiday season - whether it be feeding the hungry, helping the poor or bringing back the holiday spirit that many families only dream of this time of year.

Students at KapKa Cooperative School have been doing just that for the past 14 years, through their annual Thanksgiving project.

"It's an event that truly captures the meaning of Thanksgiving," said parent and local business owner Elonna Lester. "The children visit, sing songs and leave up to four meals for each family."

Each year, the children cook the meals, make table decorations and deliver 50 meals to low-income families and seniors who reside not only in the Ballard, Phinney and Wallingford neighborhoods, but also the South Seattle area. The deliveries are made the day before Thanksgiving.

While many children said they enjoy preparing the food, 7-year-old Petra Lavin said her favorite thing about the Thanksgiving project was helping people who are in need.

"I like delivering the food to the people because they are really nice," she said. "The people are really grateful, and it feels good to see that."

While reminiscing of her days as a kindergartener, 7-year-old Lily Rehfeldt remembers feeling timid her first year making deliveries.

"I was kind of scared because I didn't know what they were going to say or what was going on, but the 'elder-elder' kids told me they were really nice and that they weren't like that."

The elder-elders of KapKa - second graders who have been at KapKa since kindergarten - have grown accustomed to their traditions and the importance of this event. As elder-elders they now coach the younger students about the significance of this project.

With the help of teachers and parents, the students prepare the essentials of a full Thanksgiving Day feast: apple sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, green bean casseroles, cornmeal muffins, pumpkin pie, and of course, the turkey. The school annually spends around $400 for the food and arts and crafts for the event.

"We want to teach the children about giving back," said teacher Susan Sasnett, who initially got involved with KapKa 14 years ago when her children were students at the school. "It's not too early for them to begin to understand that there are people who have less than we do, and we want to get them authentically involved with the planning, the preparation and the delivery, so that they are a part of the idea that you give to the people who are in need."

KapKa - located across the street from the Woodland Park Zoo - is a cooperative school, which means it relies heavily on parent participation.

"We are a school that encourages the whole family to get involved," said Sasnett.

Some parents volunteer for half-day work shifts in which they help out with classroom and community activities. They organize and delegate many activities, including the Thanksgiving project.

With the help of the Ballard Food Bank and the Seattle Department of Aging, the parents coordinate the recipients of the project. They also help deliver the food to the needy families, which in some cases can be as far as Burien.

KapKa takes pride in being a small, family-oriented community with a home-school type of connection.

"There is such a warm community here. The kids get to go out and make deliveries and they come back with stories; it's really a beautiful thing," said parent and volunteer Sherry Wilhelm. "I'm really happy that at Thanksgiving we get the opportunity to come together, see how other people are living, and then actually do something about it."

KapKa's continuing philosophy has been teaching students about building community outside of school, while fulfilling their responsibility of giving back.

"It's a trans-generational community. One of the great things about it is that it brings the young, middle-aged and elderly together," said parent Pierre Mourad. "This is community that is really in support of a wider community."

Other community projects at KapKa include sending Valentine's Day cards to seniors in the local area and visiting nursing homes.

"We have a responsibility to teach the children, and these are important lessons to teach them," said Sasnett. "We're trying to raise these kids to be change makers in their own lives, and these projects allows them to see the world through a different lens."

Anna Park is a student in the University Of Washington Department Of Communication News Laboratory and may be reached at bnteditor@robinsonnews.com