From Canned Goods to Christ’s Call: A Food Drive Reflection from Sts. Peter and Paul School
The Impact of a 1/1/1 Food Drive at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School
By Danielle Babineaux, Principal, Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School
This year, Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School is studying the life of a soon to be saint, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young Italian who spent his life comforting and providing assistance to the poor of his community. He is an example of how holiness can be found when we offer our abundance to those in need. An avid mountain climber, he is famously quoted as saying, “The higher we go, the better we shall hear the voice of Christ.”
Studying the life of Frassati and his work, the SPPS school community of 375 students and 45 staff members are divided into seven mountain teams and will compete in various challenges throughout the year. Kicking off the first full week of school and the first school Mass on the Feast day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, mountain teams were challenged to bring in canned meals to benefit FoodNet, a Food Bank of Catholic Charities of Acadiana. An astounding 1,700 canned meals were collected on that Thursday morning!
The following week during Leader Lessons with Principal Babineaux, a recap of the collection drive included explaining the virtues of generosity and mercy shown to the needy of the local community and the event was connected to Blessed Frassati’s ordinary ways of loving and comforting others. When we imitate saints, we grow in holiness ourselves.
My heart was truly full as I witnessed children as young as four contribute to the collection as they entered the school campus that morning. At the end of the day for them to walk out and gasp in awe of overflowing donation bins, these students were able to see the impact of everyone contributing a little for us to give a lot. One third grade student made the connection to the gospel story of the multiplication of loaves and fish and still another to Jesus’ call for the disciples to cast their nets and the miracle of plentiful catch. Participating in this donation drive was about so much more than competing in a team challenge. The corporal works of mercy were in motion and left a mark on our hearts. Plans are underway for other donation events so that we can instill habits of giving and generosity in our school to better serve our community.
Your school, church, or business can follow in Sts. Peter and Paul’s footsteps! Schedule your 1/1/1 food drive to support FoodNet Food Bank by reaching out to Julie Buller.
Julie Buller
Donations Coordinator
Julieb@catholiccharitiesacadiana.org
(337) 235-4972 x1210