The Importance of Food Banks

volunteer workers. “The volunteers are dying to come back because [everybody] wants to do something to help right now,” Medina said. The St. Elizabeth’s food pantry is selfsufficient, meaning they get all of their supplies from donations and collection or drop-off bins. “People just drop food in [the bins] and that’s kept us up and running, and the Girl Scouts do a little food drive so that’s very helpful,” Medina said. “We usually have three food drives at Hyvee, we’ve had one this year because they didn’t host food drives this year.” Similarly to Bishop Sullivan Center, the St. Elizabeth’s food pantry helps provide aid to people in need. “Utility assistance is another big one, kind of the biggest one,” Medina said. “Just being a referral or resource to help them find help, especially during the pandemic. A lot of people have never been in a situation where they need to ask for help and [they] didn’t know where to turn.” Medina keeps up working with the pantry even though times get stressful. She keeps candy and Christmas decorations in her office to help inspire hope and positivity within herself and the people she serves. “When I first started it was like ‘that could be me,’” Medina said. “It’s just a matter of

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circumstance that I happen to be where I am and where they have been, through no fault of their own, which I have discovered. They’ve just been dumped a different deck of cardsand I just think [service] just

when I first Started I thought Wow that Could be me, It’s Just a matter of circumstance that i happen to be where i am . teresa medina

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brings us all together as a community.” COVID-19 has not stopped students from volunteering within the community. Senior Mary Gallagher regularly volunteers and has taken on leadership roles at STA to further her involvement with service. This year, she is President of G.I.V.E, assistant event chair for Relay for Life and is on the leadership team for Human Dignity club. “I can put my all in, and I want to do the best I can to help whatever organization or club or extracurricular I’m in, so one of the easiest ways you can do that is in a leadership position,” Gallagher said. Gallagher, along with the Board of Directors of G.I.V.E, are finding new ways to serve this year to better adhere to safety guidelines. “I really promote with G.I.V.E, especially this year, that it’s not going to be so much projects where you go out and like go to Harvesters where we’re going to be bagging food,” Gallagher said. “What can I donate? Or what service can I offer that the service agency can utilize? Because if they can’t utilize volunteers in person, what can I do that then they can use themselves or make their job easier?” Large volunteer opportunities have become scarce but the need for service has not gone away. Gallagher recommends to the people that want to go out to volunteer but are unable to, to look at service from a different perspective. It’s just anything you can do to make someone else’s life better or easier is service, so I would just say any act can be considered service,” Gallagher said. “And I would just say do as much as you can, whether that’s through little actions or big actions, it doesn’t matter, it’s all catered to the greater good.”

What Thanksgiving Food Are

FRIENDSGIVING OR TRADITIONAL FAMILY THANKSGIVING?

You?

Friendsgiving

IS THANKSGIVING YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY?

Compiled by Caroline Hinkebein | Sports Editor

Yes No

Turkey Mashed Potatoes

Thanksgiving isn't your favorite holiday but at least you're not one of those terrible people who put up Christmas decorations in November! You are yummy mashed potatoes.