Best of the Week 2018-2019: Thanksgiving Edition

HOLY CROSS VALUES: ST. ED'S HOSTS ANNUAL THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE FOR LAKEWOOD COMMUNITY

St. Ed's annual Thanksgiving Food Drive, in partnership with the Lakewood Charitable Assistance Corporation, has collected over 15,000 canned goods and nonperishable items to benefit Lakewood families in need. With the donations from this year's Thanksgiving Food Drive, St. Ed's has made a difference within our community by ensuring enough food to feed 300 families. "The Thanksgiving Food Drive is a great annual tradition at St. Ed's because it reminds us that people need our help," says Director of Service and Outreach Mr. Rick Kubrak '07. "People are suffering around us and our Thanksgiving Food Drive helps us to build community. This outreach of providing food for the hungry allows us to live out our Holy Cross Charism of hospitality and makes for a more loving and peaceful community through compassion for our neighbor."

In addition to donating to the Thanksgiving Food Drive, students have stepped up by volunteering their time to help with the planning and organization of the food drive behind the scenes. In particular, students from St. Ed's Society of St. Vincent de Paul have helped with the collection of all donated items every morning before class and have taken the extra time to tally and organize the donations every day. "Students have been a tremendous help this year by pushing their peers to donate and consider their neighbors in need," says Mr. Kubrak. "Faculty and staff have also helped by modeling and setting an example for their students. On the first day of the food drive, some teachers had already turned in their donations, exemplifying how our community immediately takes initiative to help others. Our community's participation not only provides food, but also hope to families that might currently be in a tough spot or who need help getting back on their feet. It is our giving that makes people feel that we care. We want healing in our world and that starts by helping locally."

A special thank you to all students, faculty, staff and those within our St. Ed's community who donated to this year's Thanksgiving Food Drive and who played a part in providing food for others so that they may be able to share a meal with their families this holiday season. "Hospitality and trusting in Divine Providence are always reflected in our Thanksgiving Food Drive," says Mr. Kubrak. "God uses all of us as instruments of His peace. Not everyone has the same opportunities and we need to see those in need as our own brothers and sisters. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ and, therefore, we should be concerned for everyone. Christ calls us to care for the poor and because He is our example, it is important that we all do our part."