SGA Love Kitchen drive to start soon at Farragut
Farragut High School’s Student Government Asso-ciation recently kicked off its annual canned food drive to benefit The Love Kitchen in downtown Knoxville.
To get a head start, SGA members had buckets in hand to take donations during a varsity football game at FHS Friday, Sept. 29. However, SGA president Michelle Lin said the campaign officially begins Monday, Oct. 30, and continues through Friday, Nov. 10.
This is SGA’s 10th year taking part in The Love Kitchen canned food drive.
“This has been an SGA annual tradition,” Lin said. “Over those two weeks, we will be advertising to students in the Farragut community to raise cans for The Love Kitchen downtown.
“I think what makes this so special is that The Love Kitchen is kind of right in our backyard,” she said. “This is our community that we are serving and helping and putting our efforts into.”
The SGA expanded The Love Kitchen efforts in 2021 to all Farragut schools.
“Since 2021, FHS SGA has partnered with the FHS Education Foundation to raise over $14,000 in online donations,” Lin said. “This translates to about 28,000 cans of food for the Love Kitchen.
“That’s just with online donations,” she added. “We typically get the same, if not more, physical can donations as well.”
Last year, Lin estimated SGA raised about 27,000 cans.
“But FHS SGA’s passion and dedication to The Love Kitchen is not about beating the previous years’ records,” Lin said. “It’s about supporting and serving our community, and truly every effort and donation counts.”
Leading up to the day they deliver the cans/boxes, she said SGA holds fundraisers, such as bake sales.
“We have one (bake sale) coming up the week after fall break to go ahead and raise money for the Love Kitchen,” she said.
Something she had an idea for last year was to stand at the Friday varsity football home games with buckets, advertise about Love Kitchen and ask for donations, which was brought back this year, she said.
SGA members also hold carnation sales at the school for Valentine’s Day in February, of which part of the proceeds go toward to The Love Kitchen.
“This (Love Kitchen canned food drive) is definitely SGA’s biggest event,” she said. “Our members are super passionate, and the teachers are all super supportive. The community really comes together for this truly incredible event.”
Previously, SGA donated to Second Harvest. However, Lin said, “Second Harvest started doing primarily monetary donations, but our incredible club sponsor, Ms. (Elizabeth) Blankenship, wanted us to uphold the act of service instead of just donating money.
“For The Love Kitchen, we would be able to personally collect physical cans and deliver them downtown to the kitchen,” Lin said.
For anyone in the community who wants to donate, the link is https://app.memberhub.gives/2023lovekitchen
For more information, Blankenship can be contacted at elizabeth.blankenship@knoxschools.org
