Food drive 2014 ends

 "Do the Right Thing Food Drive" 
4,456 cans and $135

Middle 2,230

High School 1,465

Lower 575

Primary   186

BETTER TOGETHER

YAC, YLOKC-Casady, YAC'S Peace Team Connected

International Compassion Games Cyclones' Action

SENIORS THANK PD DONORS FOR  DONATIONS

Peace Team member motivates high school teens to donate

Middle Division students motivate peers to donate

Lower Division donors pause for a picture

Primary Division donors take donations to the Food Bank trailer

Peace Team Member leads the PD Hope Trail to the Food Bank trailer

To give peace a chance-Hunger makes animals out of men- members of the Peace Team (Miranda, Johnny, Ananya, Sidney,and Turner) facilitated and supported the efforts of the service club, YAC  (Youth Acting in the Community) promoting a different kind of Food Drive the week starting on 10/31 and ending on 11/7/2014.

YAC's motto was: "Donate to end hunger in Oklahoma because it is the right thing to do."  The Food Drive was also Cyclones action during the Compassion Games International.  The games called for schools to promote acts of kindness, compassion and service on campuses around the world.

The 9th grade English teachers promoted learning about food insecurity in Oklahoma City with materials from the Food Bank.  The freshmen connected short story about hunger to their hunger simulation.  Father Blizzard read at Calvert hunger statistics provided by the government class and an English teacher challenge her classes to bring more cans than the 30 she personally brought.

The freshman YAC leadership sponsored, "Give without expecting anything in return."  YAC was inspired by a story told at a YAC meeting by an English teacher, Mrs. Stephanie Crossno.  Mrs. Crossno stated that a New York firefighter who helped at the bombing and died on September 11th,  came with $20  in his pocket and left OKC with the same $20 in his pocket.  Due to the generosity of heart of Oklahomans supporting his "human efforts" after the OKC bombing, that gesture became the "Oklahoma Standard" for the firefighter.  Mrs. Crossno stated, I know Cyclones care.  We just need a clear goal and reminders.

The YAC freshman organizers of the drive had a creative campaign of #30/6//26000 cans."  Sara wrote a letter to parents. Kira created a reminder flyer for other divisions Safra made a "lend a can" thank you sticker, and Miriam and Safra created a network of YAC members who helped made and decorate boxes as well as greeted and thanked early morning donors in all divisions and helped count cans.

The goal was to collect the most cans possible.  Monetary donations were also welcome because $1= 5 meals with the Food Bank .  If every student from k-12th brought one can a day, representing a mere one can per day of the month, or 6 cans every day of the food drive, or 30 cans one day of the drive, Casady could donate a huge number of cans to help feed 110,000 Oklahomans in need of food weekly.

Members of the YAC Peace team, Johnny, Ananya, Sidney and Miranda guided the ninth grade drive facilitators.  They also brought cans and were on duty motivating others to donate at different divisions. Kathy brought cans and Turner, Ananya and Sara organized an online reminder application, "celly," with limited success. YAC reminded peers with a"home made" chain of # Bring 30 cans  they placed in lockers and on backpacks the day before the drive ended.

At a reflective YAC moment, the freshman leaders of the drive in the Upper Division, Safra and Mariam stated that they were encouraged by the response, especially  the first days because, although they designed a sticker to thank donors, most did not even the stickers since "doing the right thing" was reward enough.  Next year, the freshman leaders suggested for YAC to continue the standard promoted this year, "Do the right thing Food Drive."

The Food Drive Team