Every year, Catholic Central holds a Thanksgiving drive to help out people in the Grand Rapids neighborhood. This year, CC really wanted to focus on helping out the people who were affected by the removal of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
During Thanksgiving drive, there are double days, where a specific type of item is worth double the normal amount of points. This year there was only one double day for food items on Thursday 11/20.
At Mass the day before the double day Deacon Rybicki issued a challenge to the CC student body to donate as much food as possible to really help out the people in need.
“On a chilly Saturday in early November, I was serving hot chocolate outside to those waiting to receive help from the Cathedral Clothing Center. As I spoke to our Heartside neighbors, many of whom are homeless and receive help from the government in the way of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Because the government was closed, the SNAP benefits would lose funding, and people would not receive them. Everyone I spoke to was very afraid of this happening because they rely on this assistance to help buy food and other essentials,” said Deacon Dennis Rybicki during Mass the day before the double day.
“The government ultimately reopened, and SNAP benefits have been once again funded; however, a huge backlog remains, and it is taking a long time for people to receive their benefits. So, it was crucial that we, here at CC, could step up and help in such a meaningful way,” Rybicki said.
The students at CC took this challenge to heart. On Thursday, the first floor student center was packed with students turning in food for the Thanksgiving Drive.
“I saw kids here at 7AM pushing carts full of cans and other goods, with this going on for almost an hour and a half straight. While we were all competing against one another in the house competition, when it came to helping stack cans and unload we all came together to make a difference in our community so substantial that it is hard to even comprehend,” said Andrew Kileen, who was helping count the food and items being turned in.
Overall, the CC students donated 153 backpacks, 372 jackets, 678 hats/gloves, 18,332 boxed/canned foods, 340 cans of peanut butter, and 317 packs of diapers to donation centers.
“We literally made such a difference in the lives of those who are so vulnerable, especially at this time of year,” said Rybicki in response to the generosity of the CC students this year.
With the end of the Thanksgiving Drive, the house standings have been a bit shaken up. Teresa is in 4th place with 111 points, Casey is in 3rd with 119 points, Romero is in 2nd with 125 points, and Kolbe house is still in 1st place with 126 points.
