Can-Struction Signals Start of CFD

Math and sculpture intertwine - (22x16) + (2x32) = 416.

The equation (22x16) + (2x32) also equals X. Just the letter, not the algebraic wild card.

The can-struction sculpture of the letter X in the main stairwell landing – assembled Nov. 11 by students Nick Young, John Schoewe, Emanuel Zalants, Luke Verhagen, Marcus Battle and E.J.Swisshelm, with the help of Brandon Guyer of MSA Architects – helps kick off the annual Advent Canned Food Drive at St. Xavier High School.

The CFD officially opens Friday, Nov. 13, and culminates with delivery day Saturday, Dec. 12. Delivery day begins with Mass at 9 a.m., followed by the distribution of food throughout the city.

The giant letter took 416 cans of chicken soup to construct. Jerry Herstenberg, manager of the Meijer Store on Harrison Avenue, donated a portion of the cost of the soup cans

MSA – owned by alumni parent Michael Schuster – helped design it and Guyer helped the students implement the plan. More canned goods decorate the base of the X, all located under the CFD goal thermometer reading 125,000 pounds.

The 60-plus tons of food will help feed more than 500 families and stock the shelves of many Cincinnati and Appalachian service agencies.

“It’s a really neat thing they were able to build,” said Rosemary Schuermann of the Community Service Office. “We have a big job ahead to collect that much food, and we want people thinking about how they will be able to help. This is a tangible reminder, but one that will eventually be used to help feed our neighbors at the same time.”

Advent Canned Food Drive

Adopt-a-Family Information & Sign-up Form
Grocery List for Adopting Families
Adopt-a-Family FAQs.
Delivery Day Invitation.

The Advent Canned Food Drive at St. Xavier High School began in the 1920's. Since that time we have had the pleasure of working with thousands of families in collecting and delivering non-perishable food items. The program addresses the needs of families in both Cincinnati and rural Appalachia. The Canned Food Drive is open to all students. It is one of our most popular service activities with the vast majority of students and faculty members participating.

Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, students begin to travel door-to-door through their neighborhoods collecting canned goods. Over the course of the next month, they return these items to St. Xavier, where they are then weighed and sorted. Several local social service agencies are invited to fill their food pantry with these items. Additionally, the school sponsors three delivery trips to communities in Appalachia. These outings are formative experiences for our students as they begin to witness the struggles of those in need.

At the conclusion of the Drive, students pack and deliver "food baskets" to families in need. This is a very important process, for it allows students to meet the people for whom they have been working. Students are often invited into the homes of these families where they have an opportunity to chat together.

An integral aspect of the Canned Food Drive is the Adopt-A-Family program. As part of this initiative, St. Xavier community is given the opportunity to “adopt” needy families referred to our school by various agencies. Sometime during the Advent season, the donor family delivers to the recipient family a basket of goods in the name of St. Xavier High School. Last year the St. Xavier community adopted one hundred and seventy families. Many participate in the Adopt-A-Family Program as a way for their entire family to become involved in helping those in need.

The Community Service Program is instrumental in providing the type of transformative experience that is the hallmark of Jesuit education. In developing relationships with people different from themselves, students begin to appreciate the struggles of the poor and the disenfranchised. These experiences call students from their comfort zones and challenge them to examine their lives in terms of Christian justice. As a result, students begin to acknowledge their many blessings.

We greatly value the time and energy that our students commit to this program. Service activities are invaluable to the success of St. Xavier's mission of forming "Men and Women for Others." If you have any questions about the Canned Food Drive, please phone 761-7815 ext.529 or ext.530. Thank you.