When she worked as a secretary at the Springs School, Susan Bennett "always put children first," her family said this week.
Among her many contributions to the school was Susan's Lunch Drawer, where kids could go if they were hungry and didn't have anything to eat.
Mrs. Bennett, who worked at the school for 25 years, died on Sept. 23; her obituary appears in this issue. In her honor, her family and the school administration have established Susan's Lunch Drawer as a formal program to provide healthy lunch items and snacks for underserved children.
"We wanted to cultivate this as a way to give back and help kids," said Nicholas Bennett, one of her two sons. "Right now, it's just about lunch, but down the line, who knows?"
Peter Lisi, who was the school principal when Mrs. Bennett worked there, told her sons in an email that she "wanted the best things for Springs kids. I know she saw all kids through her filter as a mom."
The Springs School Board on Monday accepted $950 in donations to support the program, which was the idea of Timothy Bennett, her other son. In addition to buying items to stock the lunch drawer, leftover money will be donated to Blessings in a Backpack, another effort that combats food insecurity among local families.
Debra Winter, the district superintendent, is also hoping that donations could help pay for pizza lunches on Fridays for students who don't have the $2 cost.
"It absolutely will be an asset to the school," she said. "It's so needed."
Donations can be sent to the Springs School as checks made out to Springs U.F.S.D., with "Susan's Lunch Drawer" written in the memo line. The address is 48 School Street, East Hampton 11937.