Saint Ursula Academy’s popular Food Drive event is back again this year, but with an updated twist. Some aspects about the Food Drive remain the same; it is still highly competitive, spirited, and students still pre-canvass their neighborhoods for food donations. Unlike past years, though, the competition will be between the grades instead of advisories, and will last 17 days to collect the maximum amount of donations.

Due to the construction in the East West Conference Room, donations should be left in Keller Center for Food Drive Committee members to box up. From there, PALs and Food Drive Committee members will load all the donation boxes onto trucks for shipping.

This year the Academy has selected four organizations to support: The Little Sisters of the Poor, Open Doors Ministries, Over-the-Rhine Kitchen, and St. Vincent de Paul. Each grade will be assigned a particular agency to help, and participation is vital. To further learn about these groups, lunch and learn meetings will be held Thursday, Nov. 3 and Monday, Nov. 7. Afterwards, the Food Drive Committee members will guide agency representatives around Keller Center and introduce them to students. As a result, SUA students gain a strong, personal tie to the organizations, and will likely be more intentional in their canvassing. For further food drive fun, the theme has been declared to be "An Oasis of Food to Wipe Out the Wave of Hunger."

One small detail some students may have noticed is that this event is now simply called Food Drive rather than “Canned Food Drive”. Ms. Platz and Ms. Kemper, Service Learning Leaders, were intentional in this decision. The hope for this new name is that students will reach outside the realm of canned goods for healthier, not necessarily canned options. Some examples of preferred donations are whole grain pasta, canned vegetables, peanut butter, and canned beans. Little changes such as these can seem insignificant to participants but means a great deal to the recipients.

The Food Drive may have a healthy competitive atmosphere among the students, but the most rewarding part is knowing Saint Ursula Academy is spreading its blessings around the city. At the All Saints Mass on Nov. 1, SUA will pray together for each organization and donation recipient. Daily announcements will reveal important facts about America’s hunger crisis and remind students to pray for Cincinnati’s struggling citizens and the whole country. For 17 days, the SUA community is being challenged to step up and serve those in need; it is up to each individual student to take on the mission and work together to help end hunger.