Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive

Courtesy of GCMS

Grace Rector '17, Staff Writer
December 12, 2016

Each year we gather together with our family – whether it be small or large – and give thanks for the parts of our life that we value and cherish. Though family is the most important aspect of Thanksgiving Day, what is Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes, turkey, cranberry sauce, green beans, and bread rolls?

Many families in the Los Angeles area live below the poverty line and thus only have money to spend on necessities. A large number of students who go to A Place Called Home (APCH), a nonprofit after school organization in South Los Angeles, fall in this category; therefore, an extravagant Thanksgiving meal is not financially possible. With the help of Marymount students each year, families at APCH receive bags of Thanksgiving groceries, allowing them to cook their own Thanksgiving meal. As the Marymount community learned from Mrs. Rebecca Bostic and Mr. Clarke, families will start lining up outside the center as early as three o’clock in the morning in order to receive their portion of food. All of the donations that Marymount collects as a community directly impacts hundreds of families in Los Angeles.

This food drive proved successful due to the dedication of all the Marymount students along with the time and effort of the APCH Food Drive Team. One of the leaders, Natalia Ureña Tregillis ‘18, learned through this project the immense “impact one person can have on an entire community.” She recalls, “the contribution that just one Marymount student can give” has the ability to “change a family and their holiday experience tremendously.” In such a project, each girl needs to commit to the cause and act with generosity because, as Natalia states, each girl and their donation matters.

TIPS FOR NEXT YEAR (From the seniors)