During the month of November, Students-in-Action (SIA) led a Thanksgiving food drive to benefit the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, a food pantry that provides free groceries to families from across the Bay Area. Collection bins were placed on campus for students, faculty and administration to make food donations of canned goods, pasta, rice and other nonperishable items.

With the help of David Ellis, religion faculty member at Convent & Stuart Hall, the high school partnered with the middle school to promote this year’s drive. Ellis is currently covering Catholic social teaching with the eighth-grade class, making their participation even more meaningful. Catholic social teaching is an area of study that provides examples for people living out their faith in public.

“Having enough food in the kitchen for your family is fundamental to sustaining life and peace of mind for your children,” said Ellis.

At the end of the drive, all four bins were overflowing with donations, which equated to approximately 800 meals. Ellis, along with fellow faculty members Sharanya Naik and Dale Jean, delivered the food to the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank.

This year’s drive had greater urgency than in prior years since Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits were interrupted due to the federal government shutdown. This impacted more than 90,000 families in San Francisco and Marin counties, according to the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank.

“A drive like this shows our school cares about the local community to support it through difficult times,” said Aaron Toy-Lim, a senior at Stuart Hall High School and SIA member who co-led the service project.

Even though the shutdown ended on Nov. 12, the issue of food insecurity is still ever-present. According to the United Way Real Cost Measure, about one in three San Francisco households do not earn enough income to meet their basic needs.

“Food security is essential to sustaining life, preventing the suffering of the needy, and promoting a society where everyone is healthy enough to contribute positively—especially children who may suffer from malnourishment, even in the United States,” said Ellis.

This is the third consecutive year SIA conducted the Thanksgiving food drive. For the first two years, SIA partnered with St. Anthony’s Foundation, a shelter located in the Tenderloin neighborhood, delivering approximately 1,200 meals. When St. Anthony’s changed its policy on food donations in 2024, SIA pivoted its drive to support the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, delivering approximately 1,500 meals over the last two years.