Giving Tuesday Food Drive Exceeds Duxbury High Student's Expectations
DUXBURY (CBS) -- As students poured into Duxbury High School Tuesday morning, cardboard boxes in the front lobby quickly filled with cans.
"I was expecting it to be successful, but this definitely topped my expectations and I love to see my classmates participating," said sophomore James Donohue.
Donohue organized the "White Out to Wipe Out Hunger" food drive, encouraging students to wear white and bring in a food or cash donation.
"This year, we got over three boxes of food and a full box of money too. So we definitely topped last year," he said.
All the food and money collected by the students will be brought to the Duxbury Lions Share Food Pantry where they help about 200 people a month.
Mary Lou O'Connell runs the pantry and is beyond grateful to the students for their help.
"It makes my heart smile. It lets me know there's goodness all around us if we look for it and I do see it often," she said.
This drive falls on "Giving Tuesday." It's a global day of giving that encourages people to donate items or their time to charities. The high school principal, Andrew Stephens, is proud to see his students taking part.
"This is something where people are thinking beyond the scope of their own lives and looking beyond themselves to other people in need. I think it's what it means to be a good citizen," he said.
Donohue says he's happy to know his school is making a difference.
"There are a lot of people in my own town and across Massachusetts and across the world that are hungry and they struggle to put food on the table. Efforts like these really helps out with that," he said.
The food drive is part of Project 351, a youth service nonprofit organization.
The group will be holding 114 food drives across Massachusetts for the next two weeks - all run by students.