Phase 1, a student lead community service organization at Oak Mountain Middle School, held their annual “Can you Can” canned food drive during the week of Oct. 29. “Can you Can” encouraged students to bring in non-perishable foods by challenging each grade with a friendly competition.

Phase 1 had a goal of reaching 2,000 cans or boxed food items, that would benefit two local non-profit agencies, Oak Mountain Missions, and Manna Ministries which help provide families in need with groceries and other durable goods.

One sixth grade student took the initiative and held a neighborhood food drive, and gathered 117 cans overnight. With the last day of the drive approaching, the school was just shy of meeting that 2,000 can goal. However, the students rallied together with their eagle spirit and managed to bring in 967 items overnight to not only meet but exceed their goal. They had a total of 2,437 donations at the end of the drive.

Grade level winners were the 7th-period classes of Dan Morton, sixth grade, Lauren Gingras, seventh grade, and the combined class of Jay McGaughy and Niki Turpen, in eighth grade.

With support by the Phase 1 sponsors, Susie Nobles, and Lori Lancaster, members of the organization loaded school buses with Oak Mountain Missions’ portion of the donations and visited their Pelham location on Nov. 5 to help stock their shelves just in time for Thanksgiving. This gave the students an opportunity to see firsthand how their efforts will make a positive impact in the community.