By Rachel Brown
Dalton High School senior Bethany Ausmus said she and others on the student council have been working on this year’s Cats Care Food Drive.
Collections from school’s clubs and other groups began on Monday and are continuing through the week. The drive culminates with a community drop-off Friday from 7 a.m to 3 p.m. where the public is invited to bring canned goods and other non-perishable items.
“All the donations go to Dalton food banks, so it all stays right here in the community,” said Ruth Doyle, an English teacher and student council advisor.
The food banks are the American Red Cross, Central Church of Christ, DOC-UP (Dalton Organization of Churches United for People), Harvest Ministries, Hispanic Ministry Food Pantry, Providence Ministries, Salvation Army Food Pantry and Templo Cristo Vive.
Last year, the community provided about 7,500 cans of food and other items. If this year’s mark reaches 5,000, organizers will consider the drive a success because of the down economy, Doyle said.
“We started it last year,” Doyle said. “Originally our student council was just going to have a food drive, and Mrs. (Debbie) Freeman, our principal, suggested we involve the entire school — all our clubs and organizations.”
Those who want to make a donation don’t even have to get out of their cars.
“They can just pull up front,” Doyle said. “We’ll have kids out there to unload their car so they won’t have to get out of their car.”
Box One donated the boxes used to collect donations.
