During October Karns High School’s DECA club partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank to start a school wide food drive. Many people face food insecurity and Second Harvest Food Bank makes it their goal to help everyone. Nearly one in five children don’t have access to enough food to grow up strong and healthy, making food drives like this important.
The canned food drive originally had a goal of 500 canned goods but after they quickly reached that goal from donations from teachers and students it was extended an extra week. The food drive’s current goal is 700. Before the extension they had already reached 600 cans. DECA also had multiple incentives in order to encourage more donations.
The class that collected the most items would get a free pizza party while the class that collected the most needed items would get free cookies. If the school itself reached 700 total donations then Dr Hatfield would get pied during the in school basketball tournament this November.
While canned food was the main focus people were able to donate more than just cans. Cynthia Rhoden, the teacher running the drive, emphasizes this.
“People donated boxes of pasta, we’ve got some beans that are in a bag, we’ve gotten some fruit,” Cynthia Rhoden said.
Michelle Weller’s speech class had collected the most and got the pizza party. Her class had a total of 73 cans with both Weller and her students donating. While not collecting the most cans Steve Ellis’s class had collected the most needed items and got free cookies.
“I would’ve liked to see us donate a little more, but obviously the 73 won it for us,” Weller said.
The self-less acts of kindness from all the students who donated will greatly help both children and adults gain access to food. This care for the community will go a long way in their day to day lives.
“Every one point two pounds of food equals one meal for one person, even a single canned good will help a person in need,” Rhoden said, “Nearly Forty Seven million people suffer from food insecurity… these donations will greatly help adults and children around Tennessee.”
