Grade 3 Leads Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive

Old Trail School’s Intermediate School once again rallied around an important November tradition as Grade 3 led the annual Thanksgiving food drive benefiting the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. This year, our community’s generosity reached new heights. With the support of families, students and faculty, the children collected 1,363 food items — surpassing last year’s total and making a meaningful impact for neighbors in need.

Many families throughout Northeast Ohio face challenges in accessing enough nutritious food, and food banks play a critical role in supporting these communities. Through this project, our third graders gained a more intimate understanding of why these resources are so important. They learned that food drives bring people together to collect long-lasting, shelf-stable items that food banks depend on—including the “Super Six,” which are especially valuable because they have a long shelf life. Examples include boxed cereal, peanut butter, canned tuna, canned vegetables, canned soup or stew and boxed macaroni and cheese. Understanding why these items matter helped students see how their efforts can directly support families who might otherwise go without.

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving Break, third graders worked together to sort, pack and load every donation before preparing them for delivery to the food bank. Their teamwork and enthusiasm served as a powerful reminder of what our community can accomplish when we come together with purpose.

Old Trail School is grateful for our ongoing partnership with the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank and proud to see our core value of service lived out so fully. By offering their time and care, our students helped ensure that more families across our region could enjoy a warm, nourishing holiday meal.