North food drive in full swing

With the holidays fast approaching, it’s the time of year where many good-hearted people look to do something nice for their community. At North High School, the senior Student Council does more than simply make a donation to a charity — it organizes a way for other students and community members to give back.

The organization is in the midst of its annual Thanksgiving food drive, which started on Nov. 6 and ends Friday. Non-perishable items, such as canned goods and boxes of pasta, started to trickle in during the early stages of the drive, but students are expecting a big rise this week. “Since it is a Thanksgiving food drive, we tend to see the biggest surge in the few days…leading up to Thanksgiving,” said senior Jackie Vulpis.

“I think it’s wonderful that the North community can come together and basically give back and give to the community that’s less fortunate than we are,” said Student Council President James Mattone. “We’re a very comfortable neighborhood and it’s definitely the right thing to do to give a little bit of what we have to those who are less fortunate.”

To spread the word about the food drive, council members publicized it on the morning announcements and North’s television program, and by hanging up fliers around the school.

Senior council member Atim Ekbe said she and the other members look to set an example for other students by donating food on their own. There are bins where food items are placed in each classroom and in the main office.

Karen Ehrlich, a social worker at North for the last 30 years, is the advisor to the 25-member senior Student Council, which is made up of students in grades 10-12. She said the food collected this year would go to Island Harvest, Long Island’s largest hunger relief organization, and if there is enough, she would also like to give some to Holy Name of Mary’s food pantry.

“These kids are our future,” Ehrlich said, adding that teaching students to give back is part of the role of an educator. “They’re going to hopefully carry that with them into adulthood and be the next generation that’s going to train the next generation.”