By Drew Danko
Online Editor
Photo by Drew Danko

Monday marked the beginning of the annual week-long hunger drive, sponsored by DMMV, to serve local food pantries and families in need.

Unlike past years, the club is looking for monetary donations instead of canned and non-perishable foods, since food pantries have more buying power than consumers. “[Hunger drive] allows students the opportunity to give that extra dollar you would spend in the vending machine to help somebody. Through Northern Illinois Food Bank, for every dollar you give that turns into $8 of food power,” DMMV sponsor Liz Main said.

For the Northern Illinois Food Bank, individuals can still donate food items, however the organization encourages monetary donations if asked. “We want people to get involved how they’re comfortable and how it feels most meaningful for them, so they can donate food if they want that tangible feeling of donating something. However, if we’re asked, money allows us to get more for that dollar than you can at the grocery store. You can leverage that with the bulk buying we’re doing. Money allows us to use that donation where it’s most needed at that time. It could be buying a specific food, or it could be paying for transportation to deliver and transport foods,”  director of communications for the Northern Illinois Food Bank Donna Lake said.

With monetary donations, pantries can also buy products that are in demand by their customers and not worry about running out or relying on donations for that specific product. “We have great food donors that donate 80 percent of our food; we are very frugal and purchase about 10 percent of the food we distribute. When we have cash donations, we are able to purchase the food our hungry neighbors are asking for the most, and what we need. We rely on donations, and we can’t predict what comes in. Monetary donations allow us to ensure that we have those core products for them year-round,” Lake said.

Rather than donating to a national or international organization, DMMV aims to donate to local food pantries, so students can help those less fortunate in the community. The food pantries DMMV helps include: Northern Illinois Food Bank, Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry, and Loaves & Fishes. “It’s really important for students to feel they can help out right here in their local community. You can be standing next to a friend or a family member that is struggling, and you are able to help each other out. That sense of community is really important for students to feel,” Main added.

Despite presumptions that hunger does not affect individuals in the area, food problems are much closer to home than commonly believed. According to the Northern Illinois Food Bank, one in five children in local communities live in food insecure households, and in Illinois, more than 1.9 million people are food insecure. Food insecurity is the limited availability of safe, nutritious foods, according to USDA. 

In Kane county, Northern Illinois Food Bank serves 141,700 people every year. 42 percent of those served are children. In the last fiscal year, from July 1 2014 to June 30 2015, the food bank distributed 7.9 million meals to citizens in Kane county, according to Lake. “We often don’t think hunger is our neighbor, but hunger is all over Northern Illinois,”  Lake added.

Senior DMMV member Harrison Kranz believes it is important that we recognize and help those less fortunate in the community. “We are very fortunate in the area we live in, and we know that there are people in our area, not far from us, that need the food and are hungry. Being able to help and connect with those communities is important,” Kranz said.

In addition to the weekly third period class donations, the club has also sponsored several other events and initiatives to help reach its goal of $8,000 for this year’s food drive. “Every home football game we have sold glow sticks, we’ve sold raffle tickets, and proceeds from the Unity for Community game have also gone towards the drive,” Kranz added.

MVStuGo has provided many opportunities in the past for students to help contribute to the local community. With service projects on 9/11, MLK Day of Service, and the food drive, many students are excited to be able to come together as a school community, have fun, and support a local cause. “It feels good being able to work with peers at school and know you’re making a difference,” senior Renee Eason said.

After raising $1,701 alone on Wednesday, the grand total raised thus far is $3,041.66. For the Northern Illinois Food Bank, that could mean purchasing more than $24,000 worth of food to provide to the less fortunate. Mrs. DePasquale and Mrs. O’Donnell’s third period currently leads for the most raised this week with $199.57. Last year, the club raised more than $7,000 to help Northern Illinois Food Bank, Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry, Hesed House, O’Donnell Elementary School, and families from Metea in need.

Students can continue to donate in class during third period until Friday, and individuals can also donate online at www.crowdrise.com/meteavalleyfightshun. The top three classes after Friday will receive a breakfast party.