Cans versus Cash: How students took different paths to feed the hungry

Cans versus Cash:

How students took different paths to feed the hungry

The rivalry between Wichita’s two Catholic high schools runs deeper than glory on the sports field or superiority in the classroom. Each fall, Bishop Carroll and Kapaun Mt. Carmel go head-to-head to see which student body can make the biggest donation of non-perishable food items to Our Daily Bread Food Pantry.

No Catholic Charities ministry has experienced a more dramatic increase in clients because of the pandemic than Our Daily Bread, so the continued support from Bishop Carroll and Kapaun in 2020 was welcomed. But COVID also dramatically changed how students at the two schools approached their annual donation. Many of the previous, in-person events at which canned goods were collected were sidelined in 2020.

In the end, Bishop Carroll decided to stick with canned goods, gathering more than 28,000 items last fall which the pantry used during the winter. Kapaun students went a different direction, collecting dollars in order to present the pantry with a $10,000 check. The cash gift gave Joe Seitz, program director, the flexibility to make a bulk purchase when it was most needed. He recently did just that, resulting in seven pallets of food being delivered to the ODB storage facility.

While the approaches were different, both outcomes were greatly appreciated. The students’ efforts will help keep the shelves at Our Daily Bread stocked with food staples this spring.