On the heels of a successful 2022 cereal drive — during which St. Paul Catholic School was inundated with more than 2,300 boxes of cereal — students at the Grosse Pointe Farms school are at it again.
Junior high students in the Thursday Advisory Program, or TAP, are hosting a SOUPer Can Collection just in time for Thanksgiving.
“As we enter into a time of year where the emphasis is on gratitude, we are thankful for the opportunity to serve those in need,” said Tricia Kesteloot, director of evangelical charity. “Our focus is on how we are called to serve our neighbors in need. So many families are in need of food and resource assistance.
“… Food pantries have seen an increase by 30 percent of those in need of food,” she added. “Instead of Thanksgiving-themed items, people are not thinking about where to get a raw turkey. … They’re thinking, ‘Where are the staples? Where are the cans I can pop open to feed my child?’ It’s so sad that there’s so much need everywhere.”
In advance of the drive, students were visited by Anne Crowe, who has overseen the pantry at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church nearly 20 years. She explained to them its value.
“When we go home to the cupboard or the fridge, we never expect it to be empty,” Kesteloot said. “That really impacted the kids — to know there are children who come home and there are no snacks.”
The school’s charitable collection efforts — the idea of sixth-grade homeroom teacher Carla Schultz — will focus on canned soup, fruit, vegetables, pastas, tuna, pork and beans and other nonperishable, staple food items for families.
“We are going to request that cans have a ‘pop-top’ whenever possible, because many people do not own a can opener,” Kesteloot said.
A collection bin will be located in the St. Paul Catholic Church gathering space, from now until Thursday, Nov. 16. Classes also are competing with each other to bring in the most donations.
Students have been hard at work creating marketing materials; preparing announcements; and coordinating, organizing and storing donations from other students, parishioners and the community.
“These projects create opportunities for students to not only be service-learners, but leaders for those in need,” Kesteloot said. “The students created posters to advertise within the building. Small groups of students will write and read PA announcements with updates on the collection efforts, and collect and inventory donated cans from the school classrooms. After daily Mass, designated students will collect cans that have been dropped off in the church gathering space and transport them to the school building.”
The school goal for the drive is 1,000 cans. Kesteloot said she hopes to see another 1,000 cans from the community.
Photo courtesy of Tricia Kesteloot
Students designed posters to promote the drive.
If last year’s drive was any indication, this year should prove successful as well.
“Last year, the junior high Leadership Council organized a cereal drive and collected over 2,000 boxes,” Kesteloot said. “We were blown away by the support from the school and community at large, which included phone calls and notes of support from alumni, past staff members and friends from across the United States.”
This year’s collection will culminate with a pep rally Friday, Nov. 17, following the 8:15 a.m. Mass. Students will assemble three separate race tracks using the cans.
“A student here at school races remote-control cars with his dad and they will serve as our ‘race engineers,’” Kesteloot said. “All of the donated cans will be divided into three equal amounts and student groups will be assigned a specific race area and driver. After the all-school Mass on Friday, Nov. 17, the school students will fill the bleachers and watch as the groups race through the maze of cans.”
After the race, TAP students will load up and deliver the donated items to four food pantries: Deo Gratias food pantry at St. Jude Catholic Church, St. Leo’s Soup Kitchen, Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church food pantry and St. Augustine/St. Monica Catholic Church food pantry. Representatives from at least two of the organizations will be on hand for the pep rally.
Those unable to drop off canned goods but who still would like to contribute may make a financial donation by mailing a check, made payable to St. Paul Catholic Church/Evangelical Charity, with “SOUP Collection” in the memo line, to the church, 157 Lakeshore, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236.
“Any monetary donations will be used to purchase canned soup or other staple items, like can openers or peanut butter and jelly,” Kesteloot said.
Kesteloot and Schultz already are putting their heads together to come up with a new project for 2024.
“We promised the students the cereal project will return,” Kesteloot said. “We’ll probably run the projects in a three-year rotation. Our team is already thinking about next year’s project.”