Area students are pitching in to make sure residents facing tough times have enough to eat this holiday season.

Monday, November 20, 2000

Area students are pitching in to make sure residents facing tough times have enough to eat this holiday season.

Many high school organizations are collecting canned food for area food pantries.

Honor societies in Chesapeake, Fairland, Rock Hill, Symmes Valley and St. Joseph high schools have sponsored food drives. Key Clubs at Dawson-Bryant and Ironton collected food through homeroom drives.

Several schools offered pizza or other treats as rewards for classes that raised the most food.

"We’re offering a pizza party to the class who brings in the most food donations," said Tomie Holbrook, a Symmes Valley student council member. "Mainly people are doing this to help out."

The food will go to local food pantries and to churches for distribution to needy families.

At Ironton Junior High, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes hosted a food drive that beat the goal of 50 cans per homeroom. Sponsor LeAnn Stumbo said that some rooms went over their target donation. Over 500 items were raised for the Ironton City Mission.

Not all of the food drives are over yet.

At Symmes Valley, the student council will continue its food drive through Tuesday. The council will put the food into food baskets and distribute them.

Fairland High School’s student council is also collecting food for the month of December. The council will collect food through homerooms, then put together food baskets by Dec. 21.

At Rock Hill High, the Spanish Club will hold a food drive through Dec. 15. The food will be taken to local churches to be given to needy families. The goal this year is 4,000 cans.

St. Joseph and St. Lawrence parochial schools are also holding a food drive. And the National Honor Society will be collecting canned goods through Tuesday. After a Thanksgiving Mass and Blessing of the Food on Thursday, National Honors Society members will take the food to the Ironton City Mission for distribution.