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OHS Donating Food

News - Osawatomie

Written by Travis Perry

Tuesday, 10 November 2009 08:00

Times have been tough for many people lately, and with the pending combination of a down economy and a Kansas winter, the outlook is a little dimmer for the less fortunate.

Osawatomie students are hoping to help offer some relief. Last week, USD 367 students kicked off a districtwide coat drive, while students at Osawatomie High School began a competitive food drive.

“We really put a high emphasis on community service and giving,” OHS Principal Doug Chisam said. “The biggest part is getting the kids to give without them feeling like they have to receive.”

Chisam said the drive to help restock food pantry shelves is back after a one-year hiatus, but this is the first time the school district has participated in a coat drive. He said the East Central Kansas Economic Opportunity Corp. is planning a coat drive for Miami County, and the district thought about participating in it, but instead opted to keep things local.

“Although we wanted to be a part of it, there was no guarantee those coats would come back to our community,” Chisam said.
Students in all four USD 367 buildings are encouraged to bring new or gently used coats in all shapes and sizes to school offices. From there, building principals will distribute the coats as needed, and any extra outerwear will be passed on to the First United Methodist Church food pantry, which is also the final stop for the canned and boxed goods being collected by OHS students.

Students are working in seminar groups to see who can bring in the most food for the initiative. The three groups , that gather the most food will receive a prize, Chisam said. OHS has 25 separate seminars, which Chisam hopes will rake in at least 100 items apiece. The last time the high school conducted a food drive, he said, two truckloads of food were delivered to the pantry — a goal he hopes to repeat and possibly exceed.

“With the economy the way it is, there’s lots of need,” Chisam said.

That’s an issue food pantry volunteer Stanton Adams understands well.

“We’re getting pretty low on food,” he said.

The amount of food the pantry has on hand comes and goes in cycles, Adams said, and right now it is experiencing a dip in supply, making the food drive all the more important.

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