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Catholic Central High School Food Drive Marks 50th Year in Wheeling

Photo Provided Central Catholic High School student Andrew Komorowski, Class of 2021, prepares to distribute and collect bags of food for the annual food drive to benefit the Catholic Charities Neighborhood Center.

WHEELING — It’s amazing the impact that a simple brown grocery bag can have on a family during the holidays! Central Catholic High School and the Catholic Charities Neighborhood Center can attest to the emotion, the gratitude and the blessing that this bag can bring to a family in need of additional help.

The annual Canned Food Drive, hosted by Central Catholic, is in its 50th year. It has become a major source of donations for the food pantry located at the 18th Street Center. Last year, over 15,000 pounds of food was collected by students who canvas neighborhoods looking for those brown grocery bags filled with food and left on the porch by a generous family.

Although students are participating in online classes and are not in school to help with the stapling of flyers to thousands of brown bags, the school is still moving forward. Yes, there were some necessary modifications that were made in order to assure the success of the event.

Maps were drafted, students asked to volunteer, bag pick-up times scheduled and a change in the areas participating in the drive. Due to the pandemic, the number of volunteers at the pick-up sites and the Center were restricted. Central Catholic divided the distribution of bags and the pick-up locations into four areas across Wheeling.

The Warwood, Bethlehem and Elm Grove areas will participate in separate drives in the early months of 2021. Woodsdale residents are asked to fill their brown bags and leave them on their porches Saturday, Dec. 5.

This year, the 18th Street Center has asked the high school to “target” their drive on specific foods that can allow recipients to prepare and serve delicious and nutritious holiday dinners, with a few extras for those after the holiday meals. Donations of instant mashed potatoes, boxed stuffing mix, gravy, canned corn and green beans, pasta and sauce, cereal and fruit are on the list.

A very generous donor will provide turkeys and hams to highlight the holiday meals.

Lou Volpe, a former teacher at Central and champion for helping the poor, took on the collection during its early days. He developed the drive into an event that was not only valued but eagerly anticipated in the Wheeling community.

As a way to assist those in need of help during the holiday, teachers and administrators have continued the tradition after Volpe retired. Social Studies Department Head Jamie Campbell picked up the reins of coordinating the event. Recently, she passed the reins to Rob Magruder, dean of students.

“Things may be different this year but we plan to provide our neighbors with hearty holiday meals. This is our tradition! We are loyal to keeping this event alive in the Wheeling community,” Magruder said.

As you can imagine, it’s been a long and difficult year for the 18th Street Center and their shelves are nearly empty. Each year, they rely heavily on the donations they receive from the Central Catholic drive. This year, more than ever, they are counting on the support of the Wheeling neighborhoods and the effort of the Central Catholic families.

The Canned Food Drive allows students and faculty to reach out to their community and express the teachings of Central Catholic High School: “To Think and Act Like Christ.”

Students see the drive as a way to serve their community while bonding together during the distribution and collection of the brown bags.

“I am really glad to be a part of the CCHS Canned Food drive, it is a great way to give back to the community in a special way and to be part of a service project that really is ours,” said Andrew Komorowski, Class of 2021

According to Latrisha Whitelatch, aAssistant director of programs at the Neighborhood Center, it is the largest canned food collection in the state of West Virginia. And to think, it all started with a brown grocery bag.

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