Photos: St. Thomas Academy's Advocacy for the Hungry 2012

The students of recently proved that the spirit of giving actually can be measured.

The school raised 18,480 pounds of food and household items for its Fourth Annual Advocacy for the Hungry Food Drive. The proceeds of the drive were donated to Neighborhood House, a St. Paul food shelf that primarily serves families living below the poverty line.

Cadets demonstrated the sheer quantity of the donations by loading the food onto a semi-truck for distribution on March 5, the final day of the drive.

“It really shows how generous everyone is,” said senior Alex Driessen.

Driessen is involved with campus ministry, the student group of 24 seniors who organized the drive.

Between Feb. 22 and March 5, the students distributed empty grocery bags to their neighbors, requesting that anyone who was able fill the bag with food items. The students then returned a few days later to collect the bags.

“We want the boys to understand the needs in the community,” said Jane Doyle, a theology instructor and service coordinator at St. Thomas Academy. Dyle said that this project aligns with STA’s goal of teaching leadership through service.

The food donations will go directly to the Neighborhood House food shelf, where they will be given to predominantly immigrant, refugee and low-income families living in the St. Paul area.

“It’s a great collaboration,” said Riley Karbon, the volunteer and in-kind donations coordinator for Neighborhood House. “We’re very, very proud of the relationship that we have with St. Thomas.”