Students and teachers collect various canned goods ranging from vegetables to meats, soups to tomato sauce. As kids and adults alike hand over their commodities, members of National Honor Society begin pilling the cans into trucks, ready to send them to DuPage families in need.

Last fall, members of NHS took initiative and started what they hope to be the annual event called “Stuff the Truck.” Anyone who wants to contribute can donate the canned items on Monday and Tuesday mornings outside the cafeteria until April 28.

The event benefits the People’s Resource Center Food Pantry in Westmont, which provides DuPage county members with food and other greatly need house staples.

“We got an e-mail from the People’s Resource Center in the fall when we did the first event, and since we were successful we decided that we would try and make it a bigger effort in the spring,” said Ms. Janicek, English teacher and sponsor of NHS.

Last fall, the club managed to collect over one thousand pounds in donations, but they are determined to do more.

“The fall event only involved NHS members, so we’re hoping to get a lot more since the whole school will be involved,” Janicek said.

The club is split into pods of ten students apiece, where they decide on what service activities to do as a group. There are four pods involved in different aspects of the food drive, such as advertising or the actual packing and collecting of the goods.

“I’m glad it’s happening,” said Delaney Mahon, senior and pod member. “Hopefully it’ll be very successful.”

One pod group is going out using the money they collected through other NHS fundraisers to buy the essential goods that aren’t often donated such as diapers, personal hygiene items, and monetary donations.

The actual event takes place on Wednesday, April 29 from 9 a.m. until 10 a.m., when they officially “stuff the truck.”

“We’re encouraging all students and staff to contribute in anyway they can,” Janicek said.