By Jessica Honigford
Community Post
MINSTER – Last year when Minster High School’s National Honor Society collected canned food around Christmas time, most students who participated in the food drive weren’t able to see the collective fruits of their labor.

A snow cancellation on the last day of drive cut the collection short. The four high school classes were unable to see which grade had won the friendly inter-school competition, leaving many students disappointed.
“Last year’s snow day prevented many students who had stockpiled from bringing their canned foods in,” NHS advisor Georgia Richard said.
This year, the food drive committee decided to move the food drive up to November, trying to avoid last year’s weather problems. The food drive started Monday, Nov. 16 and will continue through Monday, Nov. 23, just in time for Thanksgiving. The canned foods and other non-perishable food items will go to Calvary Chapel in Minster and Agape Ministries in St. Marys.
“Last year we collected a whole van load,” NHS president Lauren Kauffman said.  “Five big boxes full.”
Kauffman and NHS vice president Jamie St. Clair, both seniors at Minster High School, are doing the leg work for the project.  St. Clair is on the food drive committee with five other members of the NHS.  The group’s aspiration is to help others less fortunate than themselves.
“We wanted to do it around the holidays to help people out who don’t have as much as people in this school do,” St. Clair said.
“We’re very fortunate here,” Kauffman agreed.
“It’s always good to give back,” Kaufman went on to say.  “It makes you feel better.”
The NHS has worked on other charitable projects in the past.  Last spring, the group collected gently used school supplies at the end of the year.  Instead of throwing old supplies away, students donated things that were re-usable to give to less fortunate students.
“We filled the stage,” Richard said. “It was actually really humbling to see the amount of items that would have previously been thrown away.”
Richard said the organization had also wanted to help with a project to raise money to build schools overseas.  Instead, the NHS is focusing its charitable acts in Ohio.  Richard and the students decided to help out those closer to home due to the current economy.
“Hopefully it just helps them get further,” St. Clair said, referring to the people who will receive the donated items.  “They can use the products we donate and not have to go to the store as often.”
“We just want to make it a happier holiday for them,” Kauffman said.
In the week-long food drive, the group’s goal is to beat last year’s collection.
“Bigger than a van-full,” Kauffman said. “That’s the goal.”
Richard said the NHS is always looking for ways to reach out to the community and help groups who need it.
“We’re focusing on giving back,” Richard said. “That’s been our mission this year, to give back.”
Anyone interested in donating canned food, other non-perishable food items and personal hygiene items such as shampoo and soap can contact Richard at the school at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   Community members can also bring items to the school during school hours or send items with any high school student.