Mission Viejo High School Drama Students 2015 "Feed the Need " Food Drive is in Full Swing

For the 11th year in a row the Mission Viejo High School Drama Department under the direction of Mrs. Kathy Cannarozzi Harris will host the “Feed the Need” food drive. The drive will run the entire month of October and supply much needed food to South County Outreach (www.sco-oc.org), a number of faith-based pantries that assist the needy, as well as any pet food donated for the Animal Crackers animal shelter.

Students from Mission Viejo High School Drama (MVHS) are joined by other area elementary, middle, and high schools to take part in the 2015 food drive. This is a national community service program organized through the Educational Theatre Association (http://schooltheatre.org/TOTSEat) in which member schools collect non-perishable food for local charities and food banks. The students collect food items to help about 228,000 Orange County children who face hunger each month. High schools across the nation are also participating in the program in an effort to provide thousands of pounds of food to help thousands of local people.

Last year the MVHS Drama students collected over 50,000 lbs. of food – enough to feed 2,000 people for a week. This was highest number of pounds collected by the school in 10 years of participating in the project and the highest total among 258 other schools that participated across the U.S. MVHS accounted for an incredible 12% of all food collected.

Here are the ways the community can donate non-perishable food items or cash, which will go to South County Outreach (www.sco-oc.org), a number of faith-based pantries that assist the needy, as well as any pet food donated for the Animal Crackers animal shelter:

At the following local grocery stores:
10/2 Friday at Haggen - 25872 Muirlands Blvd Mission Viejo 4 to 7 pm
10/3 Saturday at Haggen - 25872 Muirlands Blvd Mission Viejo 9 am to 1 pm
10/4 Sunday at Haggen - 25872 Muirlands Blvd Mission Viejo 9 am to 1 pm
10/16 Friday at Haggen - 25872 Muirlands Blvd Mission Viejo 4 to 7 pm
10/16 Friday at Ralphs - 31481 Santa Margarita Pkwy RSM 4 to 7 pm
10/17 Saturday at Albertson’s - 23072 Alicia Pkwy MV (near Flo Jo Park) 9 to 1
10/17 Saturday at Haggen - 25872 Muirlands Blvd Mission Viejo 9 am to 1 pm
10/17 Saturday at Ralphs - 31481 Santa Margarita Pkwy RSM 9 am to 1 pm
10/18 Sunday at Haggen - 25872 Muirlands Blvd Mission Viejo 9 am to 1 pm
10/18 Sunday at Ralphs - 31481 Santa Margarita Pkwy RSM 9 am to 1 pm
10/23 Friday at Pavilion’s - 26022 Marguerite Pkwy (Oso/Marguerite) 4 to 7
10/24 Saturday at Pavilion’s - 26022 Marguerite Pkwy (Oso/Marguerite) 9 to 1
10/25 Sunday at Pavilion’s - 26022 Marguerite Pkwy (Oso/Marguerite) 9 to 1

From homes; watch for flyers in neighborhoods to leave full bags on doorsteps for pick up.

At bins located around Mission Viejo, including Norman P. Murray center, city library, city hall, and the MVHS office (watch for bins marked with a “Feed the Need!” poster)

At MVHS football games (watch for bins marked with a “Feed the Need!” poster)

Through donations in name of a MVHS via website of one of our beneficiaries, (donors can go www.sco-oc.org/donation-form/ and enter name of high school in “Organization” field).

One obstacle that MVHS student volunteers face every year is the misconception that there is no one in need in Orange County. What’s hardly noticed is that there are thousands of people who don’t always know where their next meals are coming from in our own backyard. According to recent research conducted by area food banks and the County of Orange: 615,000 Orange County residents are at risk of hunger each month and 37% are children. 63% of all food stamp recipients in Orange County are children.

According to Miranda Cowdrey, president of the student drama council and this year’s food drive coordinator, the goal of this year’s is to surpass last year’s 50,000 lbs of food. This would be the most food ever collected as a team of schools, and Miranda thinks we can do it again this year, thanks to the excitement and participation of so many students and generosity of the communities where the schools operate.

One final thought: Families are often forced to choose between buying food and paying for medical bills, rent, and utilities. Food banks in the Orange County are facing critical shortages because of the current economic situation and their struggle to pool resources from their surrounding communities.