Upper Columbia Academy (UCA) students and staff hosted a food drive this fall to help an area food bank prepare for the upcoming holiday season. As a part of UCA's HOPE (Helping Other People Everywhere) program, students collected food and money at five grocery stores in Spokane, Wash., in the hope of helping the Second Harvest Food Bank get a kick start on the holiday season.
"We wanted to have a project where most of the junior class could work together toward a common goal, and helping Second Harvest seemed like a great idea," says Chelsea Inglish, HOPE coordinator.
Although donations and giving often do not pick up until the holiday season nears, the food drive was successful. The day was only half over when the donation boxes were overflowing with food and the cash donation cans were filling up.
"It's nice to see people care so much," says Michaela Paulson, UCA junior. "The money and food can go a long way. It felt good to take part in helping out."
The total amount of food donated is not known, but the one-day food drive brought in nearly $2,000 in cash donations, exceeding expectations.
"I was blown away by the amount of money people gave," Inglish says. "Having this much success on a HOPE project is so encouraging for the kids. It shows that with a little effort, they really can make a difference."
Students collect food as part of UCA's food drive for the Second Harvest food bank.
Juniors Andrew Fisher and Paul Garcia display some of the food collected during UCA's food drive.
