Before Gonzaga Prep’s annual Thanksgiving food drive officially began, the Office of Service and Justice supported five families affected by the government shutdown who couldn’t wait for later-month deliveries.
“We’ve reached our waitlist earlier than in past years,” said Francis Chau, the office’s interim director.
The need is greater than ever this year with the just-ended shutdown, delayed SNAP payments, and higher grocery prices. The food drive launched Nov. 8 with a goal of 200,000 pounds, aiming to surpass last year’s record of 158,172 pounds.
Last week at the assembly to kick off food drive, alumnus David Shea `60 shared about its humble beginnings back in 1958. A group of juniors in sodality club—including Fr. Steve Kuder `60, Chuck Shannon `60, Chuck Collins `60, Hank Matthews `60—tossed around the idea of collecting food for families in need before Thanksgiving. "That first year, all the food came from our own homes. There was no door-to-door collecting or big campaigns," he said. After that, it kept growing, with a big boost when girls joined the student body in 1975. Both of Shea's daughters—Kassio Schrock `93 and Jackie Van Inwegen `96—chaired the food drive committee. In the 1990s, the total poundage first surpassed 100,000 pounds. Shea now has five grandchildren who are current Bullpups.
Students this year have been seemingly everywhere out in the community—in neighborhoods, outside grocery stores, and offices of local businesses collecting food and donations to shop for food for the 600-plus families, 500 individuals, and a dozen food banks to fill their pantries through the holiday season. Full carloads of food are transferred to shopping carts and bags and taken to first-period classrooms where the food will be sorted for families and await delivery next Wednesday.
Again this year, Gonzaga Prep is also striving to take back the top spot in The Great Ignatian Challenge, a national food drive competition among nearly two dozen Jesuit high schools. Designed to foster both camaraderie and healthy competition, the Challenge supports those in need while offering financial aid prize money provided by a Fordham Prep benefactor in New York. In 2022, the Bullpups claimed the top prize by collecting 127,131 pounds of food—157.54 pounds per student.
Gonzaga Prep's food drive stands as one of the largest and most enduring initiatives in the Inland Northwest, with a legacy spanning over 60 years. The commitment of Gonzaga Prep students to collect food for those in the community facing hardship remains a key experience grounded in the school’s mission to inspire leaders who create a more just and loving world. According to the USDA
2024 Gonzaga Prep food drive by the numbers
158,172.8. Total pounds of food collected and delivered (That’s 195.75 lbs./student.)
608. Families served
530. The number of individuals, in addition to families, who received food
15. Truckloads of food to food banks, community, and church pantries
13,505. Pounds of food donated to 2nd Harvest
100,000. Average pounds of food collected each year since the early 2000s
1990s. First time poundage collected exceeded 100,000 pounds
1958. The first year of the Gonzaga Prep Food Drive. Sodality club members collected food and delivered to 22 families
“We’ve reached our waitlist earlier than in past years,” said Francis Chau, the office’s interim director.
The need is greater than ever this year with the just-ended shutdown, delayed SNAP payments, and higher grocery prices. The food drive launched Nov. 8 with a goal of 200,000 pounds, aiming to surpass last year’s record of 158,172 pounds.
Last week at the assembly to kick off food drive, alumnus David Shea `60 shared about its humble beginnings back in 1958. A group of juniors in sodality club—including Fr. Steve Kuder `60, Chuck Shannon `60, Chuck Collins `60, Hank Matthews `60—tossed around the idea of collecting food for families in need before Thanksgiving. "That first year, all the food came from our own homes. There was no door-to-door collecting or big campaigns," he said. After that, it kept growing, with a big boost when girls joined the student body in 1975. Both of Shea's daughters—Kassio Schrock `93 and Jackie Van Inwegen `96—chaired the food drive committee. In the 1990s, the total poundage first surpassed 100,000 pounds. Shea now has five grandchildren who are current Bullpups.
Students this year have been seemingly everywhere out in the community—in neighborhoods, outside grocery stores, and offices of local businesses collecting food and donations to shop for food for the 600-plus families, 500 individuals, and a dozen food banks to fill their pantries through the holiday season. Full carloads of food are transferred to shopping carts and bags and taken to first-period classrooms where the food will be sorted for families and await delivery next Wednesday.
Again this year, Gonzaga Prep is also striving to take back the top spot in The Great Ignatian Challenge, a national food drive competition among nearly two dozen Jesuit high schools. Designed to foster both camaraderie and healthy competition, the Challenge supports those in need while offering financial aid prize money provided by a Fordham Prep benefactor in New York. In 2022, the Bullpups claimed the top prize by collecting 127,131 pounds of food—157.54 pounds per student.
Gonzaga Prep's food drive stands as one of the largest and most enduring initiatives in the Inland Northwest, with a legacy spanning over 60 years. The commitment of Gonzaga Prep students to collect food for those in the community facing hardship remains a key experience grounded in the school’s mission to inspire leaders who create a more just and loving world. According to the USDA
2024 Gonzaga Prep food drive by the numbers
158,172.8. Total pounds of food collected and delivered (That’s 195.75 lbs./student.)
608. Families served
530. The number of individuals, in addition to families, who received food
15. Truckloads of food to food banks, community, and church pantries
13,505. Pounds of food donated to 2nd Harvest
100,000. Average pounds of food collected each year since the early 2000s
1990s. First time poundage collected exceeded 100,000 pounds
1958. The first year of the Gonzaga Prep Food Drive. Sodality club members collected food and delivered to 22 families