The Salem Community High School Food Drive has collected at least 21,411 cans to go to the Salem Ministerial Alliance Food Pantry.
The final results were announced Friday morning by Student Council Sponsor Matt Donoho.
“This was a fantastic turnout for this is actually our first year back collecting as we had in the past. Last year we weren’t able to do it because of the pandemic so this is a first kind of return to form. It was neat because it was the first year our freshmen and sophomores have had the opportunity to experience the canned food drive. And to have a turnout like this, over 21,000 cans, is just simply amazing. Our students did a great job.”
The winning Homerooms were Kari Thackery and Trina Green. They raised enough money to buy 4,839 cans of food. Thackery is excited about the first place finish and the upcoming pizza party.
“We are so excited we won. We’ve been doing a little party dance this morning. Our big thing is businesses. Students go out and ask for donations, and very generous businesses around here in Marion County. And then Mrs. Green and I do some spy shopping around different stores, who has the cheapest this, that and the other and we buy lots of it. We went to the store 7 different times.”
Thackery says the competition is very competitive and students are not allowed to tell those outside their homeroom how many cans they have. She noted Sherry Hargis who finished in second with Ford Barnfield just told her Thursday they didn’t have any cans. They actually finished with 3,054 cans and will be treated to donuts as a result.
Members of the National Honor Society and Student Council loaded the cans brought by each homeroom to the small gym into a truck to then be unloaded at the Salem Community Center for the Ministerial Alliance Food Pantry. Jennifer Simmons says the donation is huge to the center operating all year long.
“I’m excited to get the shelves and everything stocked back up. It’s overwhelming to see everybody pull together.”
Simmons says fortunately the need has dropped, with fewer coming to the food pantry in recent months. 89 participated in the Thanksgiving distribution held on Thursday.
The Food Pantry will receive additional boosts from the scout’s Scouting for Food this weekend and the Franklin Park food drive in the Spring.
The food is unloaded at the Salem Community Center on an assembly line process. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
Members of the SCHS Student Council and National Honor Society helped load and then unload the Meador Boys Express truck. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
