Main Line Private School Students Collect Thousands of Food Items for Needy Families

Dec. 29, 2010 - PRLog -- Devon Prep’s Christian Action Program (CAP) sponsored their annual Harvest TIDE Food Drive to benefit St. Elizabeth’s Community Center in North Philadelphia. The 50 members of CAP worked tirelessly this year to ensure at least 100 families would have food for Thanksgiving and beyond.

    The sixth through 12th graders collected over 5,300 food items and more than 50 turkeys during the Food Drive.  Among the food donations were canned vegetables and soups, jars of apple sauce and jams, boxes of pasta, stuffing, rice and mashed potatoes, tomato sauce, tuna fish, peanut butter and more.

    All of this food, more than 150 cartons, was first presented for a blessing during a Mass of Thanksgiving in the school’s gym. After the Mass the donations were loaded onto a truck and delivered by CAP members to the Project H.O.M.E. Food Cupboard at St. Elizabeth’s Community Center in North Philadelphia. Mrs. Helen Brown, Director of Project H.O.M.E, and several volunteers were on hand to gratefully accept Devon Prep’s generous donations.

    Devon Prep has had a long standing connection to St. Elizabeth’s. Each year CAP conducts food, clothing and school supplies drives that benefit the Center.  

   CAP President Senior Ryan Litchert of West Chester was pleased with the generous response.

     "We are thankful that the Devon Prep family can see through these difficult economic times and realize that those less fortunate need our help now more than ever,” Litchert said. “The joy on the faces of the people at St. Elizabeth's makes all of our hard work worthwhile."

    Devon Prep’s CAP provides students with the opportunity to care for and help those less fortunate. In addition to the Food Drive their activities include sponsoring two fund raisers for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), hosting a Christmas party for residents of St. Edmond's Home, providing Christmas gifts for residents of area shelters, working with the handicapped and conducting clothing drives for the needy.

    Devon Prep is a private Catholic, college preparatory school for young men in grades six to 12 conducted by the Piarist Fathers. The school sits on a picturesque 20 acre campus on North Valley Forge Road in Devon, PA. Devon Prep enrolls nearly 300 students who hail from Bucks, Chester, Montgomery and Delaware counties as well as parts of Philadelphia. For more information call 610-688-7337 or visit www.devonprep.com or www.facebook.com/devonprep.