Tons Of Energy High School Students’ Holiday Competition Assures Timely Surge Of Goods For Region’s Food Banks
Food bank shelves won’t be bare for the holidays thanks to area students who this week delivered nearly 20 tons of food.
Lake City, Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint high school students rounded up the impressive pile of staples to ensure needy families will at least have full stomachs over the holidays.
“It’s overwhelming,” said Sandra Miller, a supervisor at the Kootenai County Food Bank. “We are trying to make room for all of it. It’s so full in here you can barely walk.”
More than 6 tons of soup, canned vegetables, pasta and turkeys were dropped off at the Kootenai Food Bank. Miller said the center could have scrimped by without the schools’ donation, but wouldn’t have been able to give out as much food as it normally does.
In November, the center packaged 750 emergency food baskets and expects to nearly double that this month.
Today, Sandpoint students will make a stop at the Bonner Community Food Center in a U-Haul truck.
They expect to unload about 10 tons of food students have purchased or collected from businesses and residents. Sandpoint Middle School already delivered more than 2,000 pounds of food.
“This is a real shot in the arm. Without the school food drives we would be hurting,” said Lee Lloyd, director of the community food bank. “There’s been a heavy demand this year because people aren’t working. The timber industry is slow right now and the ski resorts got a late start.”
The center handed out 158 food boxes last month and 1,375 food boxes so far this year.
The Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint high schools started a food drive contest about four years ago. Lake City joined in when it opened last fall.
It’s a friendly but fierce competition to see which one can gather the most goodies. The losers write out a check that is donated to the winning school’s food bank or favorite charity.
“This truly exemplifies the spirit of Christmas when you are able to give to those who are less fortunate,” said Sandpoint High School Principal A.C. Woolnough.
His office has become the temporary food storage room. Woolnough stuck tape to his office floor, marking an aisle, so he could get through the 6-foot pile of boxes to his desk.
Students weigh the food on a scale borrowed from the wrestling room. A load of food that wouldn’t fit in the high school went straight to the truck scales at the highway department to be weighed.
“We had to write a check last year, but these students are determined to win this time,” Woolnough said.
The food center directors said they end up with lots of canned beans, corn and tomato soup. Last year, Lloyd received 3,000 cans of pork and beans.
“Needless to say, some people ate a lot of beans last year.”
But the centers can always use high protein items, like peanut butter.
“It’s that time of year when people need a little extra help and seek us out,” Lloyd said. “And thanks to the schools and an outpouring from the communities, we will be able to help.”
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