Canned food drive is a success

Annually, CVHS partners up with Castro Valley Outreach to collect nonperishable items and to package them for needy families during Thanksgiving. This year, students donated 3,500 items to the food drive.

Compared to the donations received a couple years ago, however, it seems as if the students at CVHS have a case of “Mr. Grinch.” Yet, while their hearts didn’t grow three sizes, it grew at least one.

It is a significant improvement from last year, when students donated 3,000 items. However, it is far from what was donated in 2010.

“When I first started teaching this class two years ago, we had collected 6,000 items,” said Leadership teacher Nicholas Whitaker.

There has been a large drop in donations received since then, but it’s on its way to making a comeback.

While CVHS did well on its own collecting items for the food drive, Castro Valley Outreach gathered an enormous total overall. This year, with the help of all the schools in the district, they were able to collect more food than they ever received.  All the donations were sent to the Church of the Latter Day Saints on Seven Hills Road.

“Around 150 volunteers showed up to help count and sort food into boxes on the Monday and Tuesday of vacation, which were sent to over 120 families. The wrestling team helped carry boxes of food to cars, which were delivered by families from the church,” said Whitaker.

So, good job, Mr. Grinch. Your heart will be busting out of your chest in no time at all. Maybe you’ll turn into Santa Claus this year?