The annual “Patriots CAN Do” Thanksgiving food drive is currently underway. Students can bring in cans to their advisory up until Friday. On Nov. 20, all cans will be sent to the Manna House in Bel Air and to St. Francis de Sales in Abingdon.

“Last year we reached 7,242 cans, and our goal for this year is 7,500 cans. We have over 1,000 cans now, which is good, but we would like to meet our goal, so we would love it if people brought in as much as possible,” coordinator of service learning Susan Strawbridge said.

This year’s food drive is a competition, divided into five teams according to advisories: first floor, second floor, third floor, courtyard (advisories in the guidance hallway and cafeteria), and new, which consists of all the new teachers’ advisories.

There are also faculty and student captains for each team who encourage teammates to bring in the most cans. The team with the most cans will win a “block party” filled with music, games and treats.

Strawbridge stresses the importance of bringing in cans because of the huge impact this food makes on a person’s life. “You would not believe the people and their stories. Some people are homeless with kids and don’t know where to get food, some are working off of minimum wage and have to split the money between their kid’s education, food, and bills. By bringing in a few extra cans, we are taking a burden off of the people struggling right here, in our backyard,” Strawbridge said.

Five years ago, Patriots brought in around 3,000 cans, and with last year’s record-breaking numbers, the JC community is working to continue to make an impact on others lives.

“I love that John Wesley quote, ‘Do all the good you can, by all the means that you can, in all the ways that you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people that you can, as long as ever you can,’” Strawbridge said.

Pia Scotto is a Community Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.