Students CAN make a difference

As the holiday season arrives, the spirit of giving is not uncommon at Peninsula, which plans on hosting its annual canned food drive from Dec. 5 to 7. Students are encouraged to donate canned food for Early Head Start National Resource Center. According to its website, it is a “community based program for low-income families with infants and toddlers and pregnant women.”

This year, an increase of participation is likely, especially as more students are aware of the fundraiser this year.

“We’re lucky to be living in such a privileged area and as a community, we should be being more active in helping out the less fortunate,” junior Casey Harik said. “I’m going to drop off a couple of cans for the drive and I hope other people do too.”

According to the Commissioner of Community Service and Fundraising, senior Rachel Lipton, the drive will strive to collect as many cans as possible to help those in need. Any type of non-perishable canned food item is acceptable.

“It’s great that our school is participating in activities like this,” senior Shogo Komiyama said. “I feel like because we live in such an affluent community, drives like this should be held more often.”

Students are motivated by extra credit and community service hours. Prizes like Jamba Juice and bagels are offered to the second period class with the most cans. But many students have not forgotten the fundamental cause of donating canned food: helping others.

“I feel like sometimes, people just bring in cans for the prize but I think there should be more of an emphasis on the real cause,” senior Min Hong said. “People should know where these donations are going and to what cause they are contributing to.”

According to Lipton, at the end of the canned food drive a large truck brought to school by the district delivers the cans to the Early Head Start Program in Harbor City. The food is distributed to the area’s families in need.

“The Early Head Start Program is a national federally funded program designed to provide lower income families parental and child development education and early learning opportunities for preschool children,” Lipton said.

With the spirit of giving in the air, spending at Peninsula is directed to charitable causes and many students express their willingness to give towards a good cause.

“I think the can drive is a great way to pitch in a little bit and give some support to those people in need. They should be able to celebrate and enjoy the holidays just like us,” sophomore Yuri Sakakibara said. “If everyone was willing to spend a couple dollars and a few minutes of time, it would make a huge difference in people’s lives.”