“We can!” takes on a whole new meaning as November rolls around. Every year, students work together to gather as many pounds of food as possible for the Canned Food Drive. Run by leadership, the CFD encourages all students to participate and sets a school-wide canning goal to achieve by Dec. 5.
M-A reached a staggering record of 340,000 cans in 2022 and collected 280,000 last year. This year, we hope to set a new record with a goal of 350,000 pounds of food.
Canning is an excellent opportunity for students to engage with and give back to the community while hanging out with friends. “I just want to have fun, help the community, and try to reach our school-wide goal as we go,” senior Leadership student Rico Arriaga said.
From Nov. 1 to Dec. 5, students can choose when and where they want to go canning by signing up on Leadership’s “Canning Wall” in B-21. When canning, students collect cans and monetary donations and can also direct shoppers to donate online. After canning, students drop off their cans in the M-A parking lot at the corner of Ringwood Ave. and Middlefield Ave. before school.
Every fourth-period class sets its own canning goal, fostering healthy competition while working towards the school-wide target. “Our class set a goal of 10,000, and we thought it would be memorable to get as close to that goal as we could,” senior Jack Budinger said.
Canning is not the only way to contribute. This year, M-A will partner with Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria. On Nov. 26, the restaurant will give 25% of its profits from M-A students to the CFD.
Everything builds up to the final day: Distribution Day. All donations are brought to Ecumenical Hunger in EPA to distribute on Dec. 7, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Students and staff can come at any time during the day to help organize and give out canned goods to people in need. This personal exchange makes Distribution Day an intimate and special experience, as everyone comes together to make a tangible impact.
This M-A tradition is only possible with the help of the entire school. “The CFD is only successful because of M-A students working to give back to the community,” junior Leadership student Aarii Keswani said.
For more details on the Canned Food Drive and to track the school’s progress, check out Leadership’s CFD page. Sign-ups for the CFD are in B-21. Bring a friend and help M-A make a difference!
