Students pick through donations to sort food items into groups.
(photo provided by Scott Wiley)

Lakeland Christian Academy held the seventh annual food drive for Combined Community Services today and boasted a major return.

After distributing 5,000 paper donation bags, which were supplied by Owens Supermarket in Warsaw, students in grades 7-12 collected the bags from driveways in both Winona Lake and Warsaw this morning.

After gathering the donations, students were able to weigh the food, courtesy of Superior Excavating, to determine a total weight of 13,045 pounds. Food was picked up with help from volunteers and trucks from local businesses including Reinholt’s Town Square Furniture, Brouwer’s Furniture, JB’s Furniture and Silveus Insurance.

According to LCA Guidance Counselor and event organizer Carmen Flores, the food drive is entirely run and operated by students, who organized every detail from creating fliers to making donation phone calls and plans. A total of 110 students participated this year, which Flores noted accounts for all students in grades 7-12.

LCA students take a moment to process incoming donations.
(Photo by Alyssa Richardson)

The food drive began 7 years ago when former LCA teacher Carole Delp took a lesson from her dieting group to an all new level. According to Delp, during her time in her Weight Watcher’s group, Delp and fellow members would offer food donations pound per pound with their weight loss.

Inspired by the concept, Delp took the mission to gather food for CCS back to LCA where the initiative has grown over the years. Though Delp has retired from LCA, she has not retired from the drive and instead still works to gather and sort non-perishable food donations alongside students and volunteers.

Although the drive has come to a close for the day, those still wishing to donate or those who may have been skipped during food pick are encouraged to drop off their donations to Lakeland Christian Academy, Combined Community Services or call 574-267-7265 for a home pick up.