Fox Chapel Area students collect donations for Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank

Fox Chapel Area High School students collected more than 1,000 items for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank in September.

The student government’s community outreach committee food drive took place Sept. 19-30.

Students brought donations to their homerooms and the class with the most donations earned a free breakfast.

Community outreach students delivered the donation of 1,352 pounds of food to the food bank on Oct. 3.

They spent the day volunteering and repacked more than 5,000 pounds of meat to be distributed to various food pantries.

During the food drive, people also had the opportunity to give monetary donations online. The Internet effort netted about $232.

Sophomore Avanti Muvvala, community outreach co-chair, said she was proud of her classmates.

“Food drives are so important because people should not have to struggle when it comes to basic necessities, but, unfortunately, that’s how the world is,” Muvvala said. “Doing a little thing can make a huge difference, as well as put a smile on someone’s face.”

High school counselor and committee sponsor Rachel Machen said the students’ collection will go to help those less fortunate.

“It’s been more difficult for families to make ends meet, and more than ever, food banks fulfill the needs of those in our community,” Machen said. “Food is a basic need, and our students get that. They can easily help others and feel good about it when they support our food drives.”

District spokeswoman Bonnie Berzonski echoed Machen’s comments and the importance of maintaining the high school’s food drive tradition.

“Skyrocketing food prices have made it more difficult for families facing hunger to access enough to eat and have strained food banks’ ability to continue supporting people in our communities,” Berzonzki said.

The community outreach committee has held food drives for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and other local pantries for the past decade.

“Amidst inflation the need for help with food is higher now than ever,” said Beth Burrell, spokeswoman for the food bank. “Annually, we distribute enough food for more than 42 million meals. It’s so encouraging to see young people and their families step up to help their neighbors in need. Community support like this is critical in ensuring every family, child and senior has food on the table.”

More information about the food bank and how to help is available online at pittsburghfoodbank.org.