By Matt Hutcheson

Greenville High School administrators partnered with the Butler County DHR to encourage students to embrace the spirit of giving during the holiday season, generating an immense response. GHS secretary Lucy Foster expressed pride in the show of generosity.

“Students were asked to bring in three canned goods or five dollars… we had a great turn out,” Foster said. The result of the drive, stacked neatly in a series of pyramids proudly displayed in the front lobby, speaks for itself.

Although Foster did not have an exact count of cans as of press time, the centerpiece was visibly taller than students and faculty standing next to it. The food will be donated to the Butler County DHR, who will bag the items and distribute them within the community. “The [canned goods] will be donated to open cases we have, and to particularly needy families that we know of in the community,” explained DHR representative Lisa Butts.

“I wanted students to learn a lesson: that there are people out there that are less fortunate and we always need to try to help our fellow man,” Foster elaborated, before pointing out the several layers of cans blocked from view by the large, front-facing stacks. “I talked to some kids after and they said ‘We had fun, Mrs. Foster.’” Students who participated were rewarded with two free periods, right before Thanksgiving break, to either play basketball in the gym or view a movie in the school’s auditorium.

Students walking between classes are surely unable to miss such a visible reminder that hunger and desperate need exist- and that a healthy dose of generosity and empathy can help alleviate them. According to Foster, the project will become an annual undertaking at GHS largely due to the positive reaction it has generated.