Blue shopping carts cruised down the street, bouncing along the uneven pavement. Ballerinas, ducks, and astronauts lurked among the houses, grasping pillowcases and bags full of sugar. Some kids stared at us and wondered why we were pushing a large shopping cart.

A week prior, following an early-dismissal day, Service Board Shapers distributed flyers throughout a Gahanna neighborhood, sharing information about the food drive and the upcoming Begging for Cans service event. On Thursday, two days shy of Halloween, around 30 students gathered in costume at Mr. Morford’s house, where we snacked on pizza before heading out to collect cans for Service Board’s annual food drive.

Quickly, our once-empty shopping cart filled up, the stacked cans making it heavier and harder to control. Several houses insisted we take some candy as well, fueling us for the rest of our route. Halfway through, the gray Academy van pulled up, and Mr. Olexio and Mr. Morford checked in to see if we were doing okay.

The sky had darkened by the time we completed our route. We maneuvered back through familiar territory, unloading our cart into bins in Morford’s garage. After loading the heavy bins onto the van, we headed back to school.

Around this time, many students signed out, though a few remained to help unload the donations back at school. Photos were shared, Mobile Serve hours were logged, and it was evident that once again, Begging for Cans was a success.