Golden Heart Christian School students and families collected nonperishable food in October 2020 to help the University of Alaska Fairbanks Police Department with a competition. The Alaska Peace Officers Association Farthest North Chapter have a lively competition every fall between departments to bring in the most food for the Fairbanks Community Food Bank. Golden Heart students decided to help the police department closest to the school.
The food bank, in operation since 1982, distributes nearly 2 million pounds of food to individuals and support agencies each year. Volunteers are crucial to its success in both collecting and distributing surplus food. In addition to food drives, the agency is supported by local donors and gardeners throughout the Tanana Valley while volunteers contribute more 16,500 hours annually distributing items to meet demand.
The collection area in the school’s entryway filled slowly but surely through the generosity of the school families and Fairbanks Seventh-day Adventist Church. Each day, students checked to see how much more was in the boxes from the day before as they brought in their contributions.
At the end of the month, donations were organized and packed in boxes for transport. Students invited the UAF PD officers to visit the campus and pick up the boxes. It was exciting to see the officers tour GHCS, and the officers were thrilled to add 150 cans and boxes of food to their competition.
GHCS congratulates the Alaska State Troopers who won this year. A record-breaking total of 66,026 pounds of food was proudly donated by the APOA for the 2020 competition. A parade of many local volunteer drivers transported the huge amount of food to the food bank. Through this fun and important event, students are helping their neighbors every year and making sure no one goes hungry in their community.
GHCS students prepare donations for a nearby police department.
A Food Bank volunteer stocks items for mobile delivery.
Fairbanks Community Food Bank distributes more than 2 million pounds of food annually.
Fairbanks Food Bank has received more than 10,000 requests each week during the pandemic
