Moeller’s Annual Canned Food Drive
Every school year, Moeller comes together to collaborate for a cause that fully benefits the community. The Canned Food Drive is a schoolwide event that brings thousands of canned and boxed food items to those in need.
Through a collaboration with St. Vincent de Paul and St. Geroge Interfaith Food Pantry, each mentor group is assigned to bring in a set of food items to make food boxes to be donated to the food pantries. This event is widely considered to be one of the most helpful charity events run by Moeller. Each box filled feeds one family with 3 meals, and provides other household necessities like dish soap, shaving cream, toothpaste, and toilet paper. Each box is around $25-$35 depending on where you would go to pick up supplies. There are many support options for people who cannot afford to buy their own box as well. Many teachers are willing to help if you ask them to support your canned food collection. Additionally, many people go out to the community to gather support within your neighborhood to provide their own unused canned goods for families in need.
Last year, Moeller collected over 1300 boxes, the highest number over the last 5 years. This means that during the 2024-2025 school year, between $32,500-$45,500 were raised that year alone. Additionally, the big box to be donated to Matthew 25 Ministries was almost filled to its entirety, something that hasn’t been seen in quite some time. All the boxes collected are loaded up into a truck by a freshman of the selected house for Freshman Day of Service that year. Every year the Canned Food Drive is a great accomplishment for Moeller, benefiting the community while also encouraging the students to work together for a greater cause.
Additionally, the 25 to Thrive service opportunities allow students to look for extra ways to help to contribute further to Canned Food Drive. From buying and delivering supplies to the school, to packaging boxes, this service provides more ways to help while gaining a large amount of gold hours. Gold hours are service hours that come from service, specifically outside Moeller, which is more directed towards the community. The 25 to Thrive service opportunities are behind the canned food boxes provided by Moeller. In this group, there are two positions a person could take. The deliverers are given funds by the program to go and buy supplies for boxes for the program’s boxes. The builders are the ones who put all the boxes together using the supplies provided by the deliverers. Varying by effort put into the program, deliverers may earn 5-7 gold hours and builders can earn 2-3.
The Canned Food Drive is predicted to be another major beneficial program for this year’s beneficiaries: St. Vincent de Paul and St. George Interfaith Food Pantry. Many within Moeller’s community are already gathering their food items, preparing to meet the early turn-in November 11th. With 1000 boxes made each school year, the Canned Food Drive provides thousands of items to St. Vincent de Paul and St. George Food Pantry every year.