By Mary Owen
Through their month-long, end-of-the-year food drive, Stayton High School students collected more than 11,000 pounds of food for the local food bank.
“The spirit is strong and the message is clear,” said Ann Kehler, manager of the Stayton Community Food Bank. “No one should go hungry! Not on our watch! Not at this time! Not in our town!”
The SHS food was picked up and delivered to the food bank by the Stayton Fire District.
“The majority of the donations from SHS have come from the Skills USA class, a program which provides opportunities for students to learn and practice personal, workplace and technical skills enhancing career readiness,” said Janine Moothart, communications consultant for the North Santiam School District. “The Skills USA club president, Austin Gladwill, wanted the club to go all out to see how much the club members could contribute.”
Moothart said students went door to door throughout the community seeking donations of canned food and boxed goods for the food bank. In addition, she said class members asked for any cans and bottles to turn into cash for purchasing more food.
“We cashed in about $1,800 worth of cans and bottles,” said club advisor Dale Sunderman. “It was fun watching the students shop and do the math in order to determine the best buys for their hard earned money.”
This years’ class set a record for the most pounds of food contributed to the SHS food drive, helping to surpass the 8,000-pound goal set by the students in December, Moothart said.
“A total of 22,582 pounds of food was received in the 2018 Food Drive,” Kehler said.
Senior Miranda Fuentes said she really enjoyed organizing and helping with this year’s food drive.
“To see so many students and staff participate during the drive warmed my heart,” said Fuentes, who is also organizing other public engagement events, including blood drives. “I loved knowing that we were contributing to a good cause. To see that my school is capable of doing such a great thing really makes me appreciated being a part of this community.”
Stayton Lions Club is primary sponsor of the annual food drive, joined by SHS students and community agencies and organizations that placed collection barrels for food donations, Kehler said.
Stayton Fire Chief Jack Carriger, coordinator for the Lions Club, said, “The local schools do an amazing job and provide 90-95 percent of the goods gathered during the month-long drive.
The kids get really excited and work hard to make this significant contribution to their communities. All of our local schools get involved.”
For the success of the drive, Kehler credits local schools, churches, businesses, services organizations, the Stayton Public Library, senior centers, city personnel, those donating funds, and all the individuals and volunteers who “show up every day to care and serve” Stayton and the surrounding communities.
“Supplies were provided, posters printed,” she said. “Santa letters were written, movies were enjoyed, and children’s books were provided as well as warming blankets and personal items. Food was transported to our door by huge trucks, vans, cars – multiple trips were made. At the very end, food was sorted item by item by the local sorority. And if you are not yet convinced that the Stayton spirit is strong, 110 Christmas trees were donated and given out to families.”
The Stayton Community Food Bank distributes an average of 23,000 pounds of food each month, providing help to more than 1,300 individuals, Kehler said.
For more information or to donate any time of year, call the Stayton Community Food Bank at 503-769-4088.
