One of less than 2,000 schools in the country, Harford's Bel Air Elementary has won an honor from the Schools Fight Hunger program for its charitable work in feeding those in need.

The school's various food drives and efforts in helping the community are what made it stand out, "demonstrating notable enthusiasm, creativity or dedication in getting involved with the hunger cause," the program said in a press release.

The program, according to the release, "is a 2-year-old initiative focused on connecting schools nationwide with the hunger cause, helping those schools fight hunger most effectively, celebrating the good work of schools and students and inspiring our next generation of leaders on the value of service."

Carolyn Corea, PTA president for Bel Air, nominated the school earlier this year after receiving a Schools Fight Hunger newsletter asking for stories of how schools have been tackling this important cause in their communities.

"I nominated the school in the spring of 2011 after we collected canned goods from our annual basket bingo that we hold every spring," Corea said. "We were able to donate probably about 100 to 150 pounds of canned goods. Coming from a little school I felt like that was a great accomplishment." Corea added that the school's student government is holding its fall drive through Nov. 17.

For the school's basket bingo, attendees can "purchase" a raffle ticket by bringing in a canned good. All the food collected at the event was donated to Harford Community Action Agency's food bank.

"Lots of people bring in more than one can when they do that," Principal Robin Payne said.

Instead of going directly to the food bank, the school's fall food drive mainly benefits families of Bel Air Elementary students so they have food for Thanksgiving, Christmas and the days in between.

"We look within ourselves first," Payne said. "We try to have enough food for Christmas and Thanksgiving meals." Any food leftover from the drive is given to Calvary Baptist Church in Bel Air.

The school also holds a toy drive to help families provide Christmas presents for the students who may have gone without that year.

Payne was surprised to hear her school had been nationally recognized for doing good in the community.

"It's not that the quantity we do, which is so important. What's important is helping those in our own school community first," she said. "Students learning about trying to take care of one another and help one another, [that is the] biggest lesson we want them to learn."

Corea was equally surprised and pleased to learn about the honor.

"For Bel Air Elementary School to be recognized, I feel it is a great accomplishment. If each school in the county could take collections to fight hunger, look at the impact that the students of Harford County Public Schools could make to the community that supports them."