Viewfinder: St. Thomas Academy Lines Up to Fill the Shelves of Neighborhood House

Students of created a human chain March 8 to deliver both their third annual spring food drive collections as well as a collection record for Neighborhood House food shelf on the West Side.

Cadets have been collecting the grocery bags of food since Feb. 24 as part of their third annual Advocacy for the Hungry Food Drive.

Collecting the food in the school’s central court became a part of daily prayers this year. This year’s total tallied 14,262 pounds, just short of their goal of 15,000. Last year’s efforts, also a record, collected food and cash donations equivalent to 13,000 pounds of food. In their first year, the students collected 5,000 pounds in four days.

But more than just a record to be set, the collection was a good opportunity to recognize the basic needs of those less fortunate, said Connor Farley, a senior in the campus ministry that coordinated the drive.

The students participated in Ash Wednesday Mass before heading outside with the ash marks given on the Christian holiday to load a donated semi-truck full of food.

“At the start of the Lenten season, with all the gifts that we’ve been given—especially at St. Thomas Academy—we’ve been very blessed,” said Farley.

Kowalski’s Markets donated 3,000 grocery bags to the project, Lessors, Inc. of Eagan donated the refrigerated semi and Land O’ Lakes employees spent time stapling instruction letters to the grocery bags before they were distributed in the neighborhoods of students.

The collection took over two hours. Students lined up from the school's central court, up the stairs, out the front door and down the driveway to a semi-truck ready and waiting. In the end, bags of food had to be stacked four-high to fit into the truck.

“This year they just rocked out man, they blew me away,” said Adam Thompson, manager of strategic partnerships at Neighborhood House, an organization that provides a variety of social services in addition to the food shelf.

“They (St. Thomas Academy students) see the need and they’re at the forefront of this movement to try and end hunger,” said Thompson. “… They have a really strong sense of social justice and they’re willing to advocate for those who can’t fight for themselves.”

The collection is part of Minnesota FoodShare’s March campaign, which gathers over half of the food to be distributed over the next year. “We’re seeing record, record numbers of people needing food shelves services and other programs as well,” said Thompson.

Anyone is welcome to bring donations of food or money for the March drive to Neighborhood House, 179 Robie Street in St. Paul. Adam Thompson can be reached at 651-789-2503 with any questions.