Christmas Food Drive at Jesuit High School

Ian was on campus at Jesuit High School in Portland today where he worked closely with the strategic planning steering committee to forge priorities for the future.  He also caught a glimpse of the amazing Annual Food Drive that was responsible for a buzz of activity on campus.  Check out the video above as volunteers worked through the massive and organized food distribution system.

The JHS food drive is in its 46th year and has seen a huge increase in participation over the years. In its first year, 1969, roughly 40 families benefited from the project and just a little more than $350 was raised. “As Jesuit High School has grown, so has its food drive. The drive not only helps families during Christmas, but also provides non-perishable foods for local food banks as well. We are seeing more multigenerational families, families pooling resources to try and make ends meet. The need is tremendous,” said Scott Powers, food drive coordinator.

Students, faculty, and staff volunteered through the night of Dec. 17 sorting and preparing the food for delivery today, beginning at 12:00 p.m. “Not only are we collecting food these two weeks, we are raising awareness about hunger in Oregon. We hope students will realize hunger is not a once-a-year issue. It is year-round,” said Powers.

The families are pre-selected through St. Vincent de Paul and Lifeworks Oregon. Students will deliver all of the food that has been collected at Jesuit High School over the prior two weeks.