The student news site of Greater Latrobe High School

The High Post

The student news site of Greater Latrobe High School

The High Post

The student news site of Greater Latrobe High School

The High Post

    Math Department Food Drive

    Math+Department+Food+Drive+

    Have you ever noticed the giant pile of paper and plastic grocery bags piled outside the S-building of GLSHS? The math department food drive is an annual, post-holiday season donation to the Salvation Army. It past years, it has raised more than 1600 pounds of supplies for families in need, which is a contribution that lasts for months.

    Math teacher, Mrs. Echard organizes and plans everything concerning the food drive, which took place from January 9-20. She feels the timing in this event is important. “Food bank supplies are low and so we are trying to help replenish,” she said. Before the holidays is generally the time when large donations come in for food banks and charities of all sorts. Therefore, serving after the holiday season is important, too.

    Students would be shocked to realize the number of lives they are changing by donating. Pompelia points out that the food drive is a vital service to the community. “It is very much needed as currently 15,000 people in the area are being served each month by the donations.”

    Echard explains advantages this significant drive has for students. “Most math teachers give half a bonus point per item, and you get a star with your name on it on the wall in our hallway,” she said. However, the impact it has for the recipients of the items is far greater than any amount of bonus could reward.

    Students become very involved in the food drive and understand the significance of what they are doing. “People don’t realize how much a simple can of food can make a big difference in the life of a less fortunate person,” said senior David Moffa.

    Representatives of the Salvation Army in Latrobe come to GLSHS to pick up the donations and students from math classes aid in loading the truck with non-perishable items. Since a surplus of food items always pours out of the truck as a result of the generosity of the students and teachers, the excess food that can’t fit into the truck is donated to the Westmoreland County Food Bank.

    Social services worker at Salvation Army, Donna Hauser, enthuses about the yearly donations from Greater Latrobe, feeling GLSD is one of their biggest contributors. “We usually fill up a whole trailer and it gets us all the way through the summer,” she said.

    The supply maintained at the Salvation Army is called an emergency pantry and provides food for people of the community struggling to make ends meet. Hauser recognizes the significance of the math department food drive. “Your school is one of our biggest donors,” she said.

    Another teacher of the math department, Mrs. Pompelia, expresses her strong beliefs in the significance of giving back to the community. “The food drive is something I believe in and I will do whatever it takes to make sure it’s successful,” she said.

    [slickr-flickr tag= “drive”]

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