Video: Itawamba County Students Hold Annual Food Drive

[syndicaster id=’5435262′]

TREMONT and FULTON, Miss. (WCBI) -Students in a Northeast Mississippi county school district are learning valuable lessons on giving this Thanksgiving season. And their work will touch hundreds of other lives. As WCBI’s Allie Martin reports, an annual food drive is underway in Itawamba County and students in all grades are doing their part.

Between classes at Tremont Attendance Center, students are sorting and organizing boxes of food. For the fourth year, all seven Itawamba County schools are taking part in a food drive called “Pack the Bus.” It is sponsored by the MSU Itawamba Extension Service.

All schools compete for a trophy, that has been at Tremont for the past three years. Last year, the 320 students at the small school, collected more than 10 thousand pounds of food.

“For us it’s so important because it gives back to the community, I know there are students here and around us that need help.”

Tremont students feel the pressure to bring in the most food once again.

“Without a doubt we’re going to win.”

Over at the Itawamba Attendance Center, they’re giving Tremont friendly competition. Why is it important to bring food for this?

“Cause other people who don’t have food we’re supposed to feed them.”

Once the food is collected it goes to one of two food pantries. One in Mantachie and this one in Fulton. The director says the Pack the Bus food drive helps a lot of families.

“We normally purchase and buy about 700 turkeys for Thanksgiving, about the same amount of hams for Christmas.So being able to supplement with all these canned goods and things like that, they will have a phenomenal box, last year they weighed 65 pounds apiece.”

All schools will pack a bus with food November 21st. Last year, their efforts produced more than 13 tons of food. In Itawamba County, I’m Allie Martin WCBI News.

Each school has special incentives to encourage students to bring lots of canned and non perishable items.