Jacob S. and his tower of boxes, ready to deliver to classrooms (Courtesy/Ms. Bening).

Following a morning of PSAT testing on October 11, students made 220 boxes with labels over two hours and put them in classrooms across the upper school. In anticipation of the upcoming foods drives and Bingo games, these boxes will help advisories focus on items to donate to local food pantries. 

When Covid first struck, Academy had to ad our Service Board’s annual food drive, as this community service project was vital to the community more than ever as need escalated.

Circumstances surrounding the pandemic prevented people from meeting up, so the Mid-Ohio Food Bank sent us the boxes to make on our own. Ms. Bening spoke with a volunteer coordinator who said every month for the last year they have surpassed the amount of food distributed. With the pandemic in rearview mirror, many support systems put in place disappeared, straining those already dealing with high food and gas prices. Some people in a financially unstable situation may have to make a decision between feeding kids or making a car payment to drive to work. The resources that a food bank provides alleviates one of the most important pressures on at-risk people and it is imperative that we continue to pay it forward.

In past years, teachers appreciated the boxes in classrooms but worried that they took up too much space, so they made their home outside the Barton Room. This was visible to many people which may sound great, but it created the false sense of a growing collection:individuals would be less likely to bring in their own food if they assumed others were doing enough.

This year, however, the boxes made a comeback to classrooms, with each advisory getting two each. Advisories can now personalize the food they bring in and, thus, have a greater sense of urgency to fill them. There are stations for extra boxes at the bottom of the stairs. When you see these big brown boxes, don’t think of it as a box to fill but, rather, a life to change.