Oct. 28 was the 10th annual national Make a Difference Day in which millions of volunteers all across America donated their time and talents to help make a difference in the lives of others.
Sweet Home Junior High School was able to participate by coordinating an organized canned food drive. A grand total of 480 pounds of canned and nonperishable food were collected by the SHJHS staff and students.
Each of the 17 pride classes brought in food donations as one of the inner classroom competitions held during Tiger Pride and Spirit Week, Oct. 23-27, at the junior high.
Wal-Mart of Lebanon awarded the project with a $25 grant to be used for project expenses.
One of the goals of this service activity was to increase hunger awareness within the community and for students to experience personal growth by knowing that they made a positive impact upon the life of someone else.
Even if a person only gave a single can of food, it does make a difference to the person who needs and receives it. The State of Oregon has the highest percentage of food-insecure families, families not knowing where their next meal is coming from, in the entire nation.
The canned food was delivered Friday afternoon to Sweet Home Emergency Ministries, which will distribute the food to local families in need of assistance.