San Mateo Middle Schoolers Collect Over 700 Items In Food Drive

SAN MATEO, CA — Middle schoolers in San Mateo helped organize a school-wide food drive earlier this month that netted over 600 pounds worth of items benefitting the Samaritan House of San Mateo County.

The drive was the result of a partnership between Odyssey Middle School and Everyday Samaritans. Donations filled six bins with over 700 items, according to organizers, who wanted to help with the increase in demand for services at the Samaritan House during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Skyler, a sixth-grader at Odyssey Middle School, came up with the idea and emailed his teacher, Hannah Rich. While she communicated with parents, Skyler — whose two siblings also organized food drives at their respective schools — created a flyer and a description of the drive, and then helped push for donations online.

“If you can help other people and you have the resources available, it’s just a great idea,” Skyler told Patch. “You have to move through with it. I also learned a lot about how to organize a project, making a website, getting the word out and getting a lot of donations.”

Skyler said that after reaching out to Samaritan House and asking what items they needed the most, he decided to make it a “protein” drive because “sugar is not really nutritious, and people need protein most of all.” The most-donated items were tuna and beans, which are both high in protein.

The school originally planned to run the drive for a week, but according to organizers, it was extended to two weeks because of how many items were being donated.

“My students give me immense hope for the future,” Rich said. “The outpouring of support for the drive shows me and students that we can and must take collective responsibility for one another.”

Visit Samaritan House's website here.