Students amass food for the needy

Cordell Havens (from left), Erica Reynolds and Carissa Hancock were among 60 students to help collect more 1,200 pounds of food during I.S.S.’s annual holiday food drive. Photo by Travis Williams | The Burgs

CHRISTIANSBURG — It’s a common sight for the bottom of a Christmas tree to appear crowded by decorative bags and boxes adorning bows and holiday-themed wrapping.

Less common is a tree such as the one at Independence Secondary School, which on Monday appeared as though it may have sprouted in the middle of the canned foods section of a grocery store.

“It’s crazy, all this food’s going to be given out to people who need it,” junior Cordell Havens said.

Havens was one of 60 students to participate in the school’s annual holiday food drive last week, which generated more than 1,200 pounds of nonperishable items to be donated to either the Montgomery County Emergency Assistance Program or the Montgomery County Animal Hope Alliance.

Program coordinator Larry Lowe said on Nov. 30 the students, otherwise known as the “Elf Squad,” canvassed the Christiansburg neighborhoods of Vista Via, Oak Tree and Diamond Hills, dropping off bags and letters asking for donations. On Dec. 7, the students retrieved the bags, weighed the contents, and displayed them under the school’s tree.

“It was an opportunity to get out and help people while we’re out,” senior Carissa Hancock said.

Lowe said the school had been conducting the food drive for more than 10 years,  but this was the first year the bags were returned with notes accompanying the food thanking the students for their efforts.

While Havens admitted the mass of food looked great under the tree, he and his classmates knew the grocery store-themed decor wasn’t meant to last.

Lowe said the students planned to spend Monday afternoon boxing up the food for the agencies, which were scheduled to pick it up Tuesday.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply