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Thanksgiving Food Drive 2002
Pounds of food collected: 45,000 (11/27/02)
Monday, November 25, 2002 - Begin packing boxes for 150 needy families
As evening approached, the disciples came to [Jesus] and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."
Today, Jesus tells us to "give them something to eat." The Archbishop Carroll High School Food Drive is our faith response to Jesus' command, and the miracle of the multiple of loaves (well, cans) happens again and again every year. As a community, we labor to collect food because we know that we can make a difference. We can help a family make it through a rough time. We can provide vegetables and stock to feed soup to the homeless. We can put our faith into action and make this world a kinder and more bearable place for those most in need.
The Archbishop Carroll High School Food Drive was started about 23 years ago. As the story goes, students were asked to bring in a can of food. They filled a giant bin with maybe 300 pounds of food and stood back in awe. Since that time, the Food Drive has grown into a giant community activity. The Capital Area Food Bank says that we run the largest high school food drive in the nation.
The Thanksgiving Food Drive has evolved greatly from students bringing in a single can to students collecting over a thousand pounds of food a piece. Five years ago, we simply went door to door with a box and collected food. Then we began putting out flyers ahead of time and returned to pick up for the food. We found that we received more food. Five years ago, we tried putting out about 1,000 bags. We were astounded by the amount of food that neighbors donated. Rather than a can or two, full bags were left for us. In 1997 we probably put out around 7,000 bags and collected about 23,000 pounds of food. During the 1998 Food Drive, students left over 10,000 bags to leave on doorsteps and then collected over 30,000 pounds of food. In 1999, students collected over 36,000 pounds of food. In 2000, students collected 39,250 pounds of food.
The Food Drive, however, is not about the pounds of food collected; it is about the people we serve. The Archbishop Carroll Community literally provides thousands of people with nutritious food. The Food Drive proves that teenagers can and do make a positive impact on society. Once collected, the food is sorted into giant piles in the main lobby. Then students are given a two page list of items to pack in giant boxes. We provide about 150 needy families with a turkey and a month's supply of food. In addition, we give large donations of food to shelters, soup kitchens, parish pantries and after care programs.
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