by Katie Hill and Kirill Cross
Over the past few weeks, York Suburban High School has been running a canned food drive to support underprivileged families in the community during the holiday season. Participation this year has surpassed collection from previous years, a feat that can be attributed to the persistence of one advisory classroom.
English teacher Joe Toren and his group of students have been collecting canned items since Aug. 28, the first day of school. Toren’s advisory collected upwards of 681 cans, surpassing their original goal of 500 cans which was even higher than their 477 cans raised last year. This is the third year Toren’s advisory has raised an astonishing number of cans.
The effort to bring in cans and to raise money to purchase cans is a joint effort in advisory room 109. Though most of the responsibility lies on the students, Toren has decided to take part in the event as well.
“The key is we start at the beginning of the school year and I match [my advisory]. I told them when you raise twenty dollars, I’ll put in twenty dollars. We have been collecting since the beginning of the year and those pennies add up, those dollars add up and it’s as easy as that,” said Toren.
To get his students excited about collecting, Toren offered a breakfast initiative if their class wins. Not only will the receive the donuts that the school provides, but Toren himself has agreed to bring in additional breakfast items like breakfast sandwiches. However, there are some students in the Toren advisory that are focused on something other than breakfast.
“In the long run, we are all coming together and giving to people who are less fortunate. I am proud of my advisory,” said sophomore Lauren Bryant.
Additionally, most students recognize the need to give back to their community and are happy to take part in such a selfless act like collecting food for those who are not given those necessities.
“The drive helps out the community and you don’t get a lot of opportunities to do that, so I think that’s why I personally took advantage of it” said sophomore Cheyanna Buckingham.
“It’s a very easy way to help someone else and it’s important to me,” said Toren.
This year’s food drive was organized by NHS and by the Impact Foundation.
The Impact Foundation has the goal to help all students in the YS students have food, clothes, and things that they need in order to eliminate the boundary that prevents a productive school day.
Senior Emily Hamme is a member on the Recourse Development Board of the Impact Foundation. Regarding the topic of what the Impact Foundation is doing right now, Hamme said, “We are working with the NHS for the food drive and we are hopefully going to have a closet at each school housing coats and different things that students do not have.”
Regarding the topic of what one could do to be more involved with Impact Foundation, Hamme said, “By talking to the four executives, Jamie Myers, Bailey Cross, Winter Ryan, and Zach Winestein.”
Assistant Principal Denise Fuhrman, who was instrumental to starting the Impact Foundation said, “The district was approached by the York County food bank, where basically they said that if we collect these items, we will give you a Turkey for every family in your district that meets certain qualifications.” Fuhrman also said, “Just over 500 of our families could be eligible for these Turkey dinners.”