Senior Avery White searches for expired canned goods. On November 17th, 2023 StuCo hosted their Canned food drive organization day. The cans were all given to eighteen different families in the Brentwood community.

Last month, the Student Council hosted its annual canned food drive. Seniors Amelia Spencer, Will Schuering, and Mr. Hamdan organized the campaign. This is Mr. Hamdan’s second year running the student council but the canned food drive has been an annual event for many years. “It’s been running for years,” he said. ”It started as a way to help families in the community. We take donations, we have students donate and the community donates. We send out flyers and information out to the community. Then we do donation drop offs.” 

The food donations this year went to 18 families who responded to a survey that they would appreciate the help.  Overall, the Brentwood School District delivered 2,500 goods for the food drive to these eighteen families. But getting to that goal took a lot of work. 

In order to set this plan into motion, Mr. Hamdan, of course, needed the help from the entire Student Council. First, the Student Council divided into groups to deliver flyers for the food drive down a street of their choosing. Once the food drive was announced, parents, teachers, and students provided cans to the school. The event ended on November 13th, and shortly four days after, the next part of the food drive began.

On November 17th, 2023, StuCo hosted Organization Day. All of the cans collected throughout the drive had to be carried by student council members from the lecture hall to cars.  Afterward, the cans and the students were dropped off at the Central Office for sorting. For those who don’t know, the student council has a sorting method they follow:

1. The groups of cans are all checked for all expiration dates. When there is an expired can, it’s separated from the other cans and placed on the expired table.
2. Then the cans are sorted into piles depending on what food group they fall under. For example, the groupings were breakfast, beans, soup, baking, vegetables, fruits, and more.
3. All cans with food categories are then split amongst the eighteen families.

One of the new student council members, sophomore Brady Hansen, helped out with the canned food drive for the first time. “I wasn’t there last year, but from what I hear, it was fairly successful,” he said.“Helping out for the first time this year was very chill. I like it. It was entertaining, and I look forward to doing it again”. 

The student council president, Amelia Spencer, had looked back at the achievements made. “We have always been able to count on the Brentwood community to support our local families in need,” she said.