Donation downfall sparks change

Ray Dempsey, a volunteer at the Northfield Township Food Pantry, stocks shelves. During last year’s food drive, Glenbrook North did not bring in as many donations as SA Board had hoped. Photo by Meghan Cruz
Ray Dempsey, a volunteer at the Northfield Township Food Pantry, stocks shelves. During last year’s food drive, Glenbrook North did not bring in as many donations as SA Board had hoped. Photo by Meghan Cruz

Wooden crates stacked as high as the ceiling stretched across the entire length of the SA Hall. Each crate stuffed full with cans and boxes, students faced the task of figuring out where to pack the new donations that continued to rush in from the Food Drive.

According to Michael Tarjan, assistant principal of Student Activities, that was what the Food Drive was like when he started working at Glenbrook North in 2004.

“It was very spirited, and the kids really got into it,” Tarjan said.

Over the last two to three years, Tarjan said there has been a lack of participation in the Food Drive, contributing to the overall “slow decline” in the amount of cans and boxes being donated each school year, with last year’s drive being especially unsuccessful.

Northfield Township Food Pantry receives the donations from the Food Drive, and volunteer Ray Dempsey said donations from the Food Drive have deteriorated.

According to Dempsey, the Food Drive had always brought in boxes of donations that were “floor to ceiling as far as you could see” since he started volunteering in 2012. However, Dempsey said the 2014 Food Drive only donated 25 percent of the food GBN usually supplies.

Jill Brickman, supervisor of Northfield Township Food Pantry, said the food pantry heavily relies on donations brought in by GBN.

“It replenishes our shelves, and depending on the Food Drive results, can take us into the spring,” Brickman said.

Dempsey said due to last year’s lack of donations, the pantry had to use their donated funds to purchase the food that was not supplied by the Food Drive in order to have enough to distribute to families.

Tarjan said he is unsure whether there was a lack of knowledge about last year’s Food Drive or just a lack of participation.

Julie Everakes, Student Executive Board vice president, said that despite being on Junior Board last year, even she barely knew the Food Drive was going on.

“Last year’s food drive was not as planned out and orchestrated as well as it should’ve been,” Everakes said.

For this year’s Food Drive, Everakes said SA Board has taken a more “community-wide” approach in planning changes to the event. In addition to the “usual” events, Everakes said SA Board has scheduled new events that reach out beyond GBN, like an event at Waterway Carwash scheduled on Nov. 7 and “Pack The Truck” scheduled for Nov. 14 and Nov. 15 at Sunset Foods.

Brickman said the community is extremely important to the food pantry because it runs on donations to feed 624 families.

“There is a tremendous amount of need, which is often surprising to people because this is not the type of community people expect to need a food pantry,” Brickman said.

Dempsey said if the Food Drive continues this downward trend in donations, the food pantry will have to look beyond GBN as a source for donations and seek other places to host a food drive. However, he said it is important for the relationship to be kept and knows no one can bring in as many donations as GBN students.

Tarjan said he hopes this year’s Food Drive will be more successful in the amount of food brought in and will restore the spirit of contribution that used to be highly present in students.

“I truly believe that sometimes our students get caught up in their own lives and the chaos of academics or their extracurriculars,” said Tarjan. “Sometimes students, and I would say even me, … sometimes forget just to pause and think about a greater good outside of themselves.”