M-A Canned Food Drive
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For the 27th annual Menlo-Atherton Canned Food Drive, students of M-A gathered over 420,000 pounds of food to deliver to over 400 families, lending a hand up to over 2,100 people in our community. After a month of hard work, lengthy shifts, tens of thousands of canning slips, the Bears gathered together on Distribution Day to help families fill their kitchen cabinets. Throughout the month of November, M-A’s Leadership Program worked diligently to encourage students to participate through spirited social media posts, class competitions, and worked with classes one-on-one to create and reach individual goals. December 6th marked our Distribution Day, where students were given the opportunity to talk to the hundreds of families they had gathered cans for. Over 400 students, teachers, alumni, and parents showed up to help distribute the hundreds of thousands of canned goods gathered. Not only was this possible with all the students who participated, but also with the help from all our generous local stores. We would love to thank the PTA and the teachers who donated to this cause, our amazing and giving community and can’t wait for another successful canning season next year! For more information on Leadership and the 2025 Canned Food Drive, please visit lship.org.
Watch the movie recap by Jaime Parada Hernandez (Class of 2028)
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HISTORY OF THE CANNED FOOD DRIVE
The Canned Food Drive started many years ago in Coach Parks’ garage. Now organized by Leadership Students and held on campus, the drive kicks off in November when students start "canning" – collecting non-perishable foods outside local grocery stores. Over the years, the number of cans collected has grown from 5,200 to over 100,000. Donated funds are used to purchase perishable food. In December, more than 400 families receive at least two weeks’ worth of canned food, fresh fruit and vegetables, bread, rice and chicken. The PTA provides assistance and materials to M-A Student Leadership who run the M-A Canned Food Drive.