School canned food drive helps feed families

 

On Thanksgiving, people cozy up to stay warm on a cold, fall day and give thanks for everything they hold dear. People say they are thankful for the smallest things, from having a special toy to the priceless things like your life.

The signature of Thanksgiving Day is of course giving thanks for what people have but also for the feast they are going to have during dinner. It is joyous to be at a table surrounded by family and friends ready to begin the holiday meal. Sadly, many families don’t have that special meal to be thankful for because they can’t afford to make a feast as many other families do.

Fortunately, that is where the good-hearted people come in to not only be thankful for what they have but to give to others. The art of giving on Thanksgiving makes this holiday like the Christmas of November. Many participate in food donations and drives giving families in their communities a special dinner to make their day full-bellied.

In the week before Turkey Day, Nov. 17 – 21, CVHS held its annual Canned Food Drive. Generous students all over campus brought all sorts of canned goods and many more things to put in donation boxes in their third period classes.

This year, CVHS was able to collect 4,646 cans to donate to our community. Nicholas Whitaker, history teacher and head of student activities, was in charge of collecting and counting the donated cans.

“Overall, I’m really glad we were able to donate this many cans. I just wish we could have donated more with our population of about 3,000,” Whitaker said.

As a friendly competition, CVHS stated that the third period class that donates the most cans would receive a pizza party. Ashley Green’s third period class donated the most cans with a total of 806 cans. Carmelina Frasca’s class finished second with 439 and Clare LePell’s class finished third with 233.

“It wasn’t me. It was the the class. I just reminded the class everyday. Many of the students just told their parents who reached out to neighbors and friends about the drive and most were generous to give cans to donate.” Green said.

Thanks to CVHS and the school district, about 140 families in our community had full bellies because of our generosity for this Thanksgiving meal.