Centered on the wooden podium in room 55, between a bandaged army figurine and a miniature inflatable tube man, is a humble 1995 can of Campbell’s reduced fat celery soup. Most students wouldn’t notice it every day for the first few months of school until the start of the food drive in early December when Mr. Andreas tells the story of the 30 year old soup.
“The tradition started with Mr. Hunnicutt,” Andreas said. “The can dates back to 1995, and he originally had a first period class and held on to the can, now the can lives in my room 55 class and I’ve held onto it throughout the years.”
Hunnicutt held onto the original can of soup in ‘95 and now the tradition lives with Andreas, similar to how the food drive lives on among faculty and students, passed down year after year.
To Andreas, the food drive is more than just another Jesuit event. He brings years of perspective and experiences as a student, a teacher, and a parent. The food drive has been part of his life for decades.
“Being a former student and experiencing it from that perspective, and then becoming a teacher, you want your students to have a similar [positive] experience,” Andreas said.
The Jesuit food drive is one of the largest community events of the year, and is a highlight of the Jesuit experience. Andreas carried his appreciation for the food drive as a student to his career and new position of leading students and motivating them to participate.
“I tell the class about previous classes, the assembly does a good job [of encouraging participation], but also reminding people about the food insecurity and struggles with simple staples that they need. It motivates kids to go out and canvas and bring in food,” Andreas said.
Over the course of 30 years, with roughly 25 students in each class, the story of the can has been heard by hundreds of students, who are then motivated to go out and canvas, collect food, and donate money.
Post pandemic, more families than ever are facing food insecurity, and the food drive is of even greater necessity. According to the Oregon food bank, pre-pandemic, 1 in 11 people were facing food insecurity in Oregon, now that number has gone to 1 in 5 who are struggling. The food drive is of greater necessity than ever. While the food boxes given to families don’t solve the problem, they provide comfort and a guaranteed meal during the holiday season.
The food drive is about small actions to make the holidays less stressful and more magical for families in Oregon.
Teachers like Andreas who go above and beyond to motivate students to participate are crucial in meeting the needs of the community.
“The significance of the can comes from spurring the kids’ interest,” Andreas said. “We aren’t going to give the can from 1995 to anybody, but it’s a fun way to start the food drive. I also start the food drive with my collection of loose change over the course of the year, and it ranges from like $30-50 every year.”
For Andreas, the food drive is collective participation and effort. It goes beyond the classroom too. The food drive provides an opportunity to involve the whole family.
“I encourage my daughters to get involved and do their part and [I enjoy] taking them to deliver food and so on,” Andreas said.
Whether it’s fathers and daughters, friends, or faculty, the whole community comes together with one common goal: serving others. The way each individual goes about that is up to them.
Some may volunteer to reach out to the families their class is sponsoring, seeking gift ideas for each family member.
Others step up as drivers, delivering boxes to families near our community. On distribution days, a collective effort unfolds as students help sort and organize provisions.
The effort continues as students buy the annual food drive t-shirts, candy canes, hot chocolate, raffle tickets, all their contributions going towards the food drive.
Students help one another carry countless Trader Joe’s bags of perishable goods meant to feed people in the community.
Throughout the beginning of December, holiday spirit is high. With roughly three weeks of school in between Thanksgiving break and winter break, the activities and ways to get involved in the community are numerous.
Fun traditions increase excitement among the student body, such as the annual magical assembly where Santa Clark greets students in his sleigh (golf cart), candy canes and hot chocolate during lunch, a Christmas time raffle, and of course, the can that starts the drive every year.
The Food Drive is a hallmark of the Jesuit experience..
“The students know that the cream of celery soup from 1995 starts the food drive every year.”
