There are many great things that happen at Great Bend High School on a daily basis. The National Honor Society Food Drive is just one example, said Kayci Strickland, NHS sponsor and English teacher.
“I’m proud of the NHS members for their goals, their determination and their passion for helping people,” Strickland said. “It’s a privilege for me to be their sponsor.” During a five-day food drive from Nov. 14-18, NHS members orchestrated an event that netted nearly 1,600 pounds of food for the local food bank. In the past four years, they have gathered more than six tons of food to feed local people in need. “This is a tremendous act of service and the NHS members have fully invested themselves in this cause,” she said. “They know there is a need within our community – sometimes even within our own school – and they want to help.
“By participating in this food drive, they’re making a difference and they know it. That’s why this group of young people is so remarkable – they truly have a heart for serving others.
“This year’s officers Allison Muth, Konner Ireland, Maddy Otter, Ashtin Heath and Kaitlyn Moos have been outstanding,” Strickland said. “I couldn’t do this project without all of their help, but all of our members step up to volunteer during this project.
“Students make posters, collect, count and box the food and help load it on the trailers when it’s picked up,” she said. “It takes the whole club to make this event happen and everyone works really hard. We’ve always deemed our food drive a success simply because we’re helping our community. We set big goals each year, but we’re grateful for any donations we receive, regardless of our numbers.
“This year, the five NHS officers decided that they weren’t satisfied with the goals of past donations. They were determined to collect even more and they wanted to reach out for community support,” she said. That’s why the Great Bend Public Library became a drop-off site. “It’s been wonderful to work with the library staff and have them get involved with this project,” she said.