The annual food drive is here! Running from February 21 to March 3rd, it is a two-week ongoing competition among fourth periods where students can bring in canned food. 

Run by the ASB Campus and Community Cabinet, the annual food drive is one of the many events organized to aid the local community, including Dig Pink, TLC, an annual toy and blood drive. ASB member Melanie Aleman, 11, comments on the importance of participating in this year’s food drive.

“It is important to host a food drive annually to support our community organizations that strive to have nutrition available for people in our community,” said Aleman. “The food drive allows students to develop social awareness and the opportunity to support others in a way many people can.”

The food drive consists of a competition among the 4th periods. First place winner will receive a pizza party, the second-place winner will receive a popsicle party, and third place winner will receive a donut party. Aleman further explains why a competition is included in a food drive.  

“Incorporating a competition in Food Drive encourages students to participate,” Aleman said. “Offering classrooms a chance to win a prize for helping others is simply our school’s way of saying ‘thank you’ for all the support being given to our community.”

With a food drive, most students can reflect on how grateful they are for the food they have provided. Junior Alanie Padilla, who is a part of ASB and taking charge of the food drive, talks about how incorporating a food drive, especially in high school, brings exposure to those who do not realize frequently how much they have.

“I think while we’re in high school, we’re still under our parents’ rule and our parents still provide for us so we don’t have the life experiences knowing how much a carton of milk cost. We don’t have to worry about food costs, we don’t worry about going to the grocery store and having to feed our families, our parents do,” Padilla said. “So we don’t have that experience yet but like this food drive, it exposes us to that there are other people in the world who don’t have food or parents who can provide for them or even adults who can provide for them. I think in high school, I think it’s important to be expose to what other people our age go through and this is just a way to give back.”

A food drive is a good way to give back to those who are lacking the necessities, especially to high school students. A reminder that the food drive is still going on until March 3rd.