Thousands Fed Through Annual Food Drive: Jesuit High School

BEAVERTON, OR — The 49th annual holiday food drive held by Jesuit High School in Raleigh Hills will culminate this week when the student center becomes the food sorting and distribution center Dec. 14.

With canned food stacked 15 feet high, the Jesuit student body expects to create food boxes for 374 families throughout the metro area — though there will likely be enough for nearly twice that many, according to Jesuit High School spokeswoman Erika Tuenge.

When the school's food drive began in 1969, students raised $350 and fed roughly 40 families. Last year, Tuenge said, students pledged enough food for 600 families, and they've pushed to reach that goal again this year.

"As Jesuit High School has grown, so has its food drive," food drive coordinator Scott Powers said in a statement. "The drive not only helps families during Christmas, but also provides non-perishable foods for local food banks as well. We are seeing more multigenerational families, families pooling resources to try and make ends meet. The need is tremendous."

Jesuit students, staff, and faculty will begin sorting the food Wednesday night, preparing it for delivery Thursday, Tuenge said. They've collected the food over the past two weeks, pooling the resources of all 1,270 students for the cause.

"Not only are we collecting food these two weeks, we are raising awareness about hunger in Oregon," Powers said. "We hope students will realize hunger is not a once-a-year issue. It is year-round."

According to the Partners for a Hunger-free Oregon, more than 500,000 people (out of population of more than 3.7 million) live in poverty throughout the state — and around 200,000 of those people are in the tri-county area alone. While the numbers for 2017 have improved from 1999, Oregon is still ranked 12th for highest rate of hunger in the US.

From Thursday to Saturday, Jesuit alumni will host their own food drive and delivery, which they expect will assist more than 1,500 families and 30 different shelters in the region.

"The Alumni Food Drive brings our community together to continue our mission of being men and women for others," said Alumni Director Kathy Baarts. "The need for food continues to increase and we have continued to grow in the number of boxes we are able to provide and the agencies we are able to serve."

Anyone interested in volunteering to deliver food on Dec. 16, or helping prepare food boxes Dec.14 or 15, can contact the Alumni Office at 503-291-5414, or email Baarts at kbaarts@jesuitportland.org.

Images via Jesuit High School