Triple play: Farmington students donate 10,000 canned goods in drive

Farmington High School senior Lindsay Bahling said this year was the first time she knew for sure there were homeless people in her community.

The knowledge served as a wake-up call for Bahling, who serves as FHS Student Council vice president.

It was enough to motivate Bahling, who was among student council members who dove into this year's canned good drive to benefit the Farmington Area Goodfellows.

And the charitable giving was at a premium; the drive collected some 10,300 cans, more than triple last year's total.

"We learned this year we have homeless people here at our school. ... It makes everything real," Bahling said. "You think people who don't have food are not in our community, then you learn they are."

A lot fewer people were hungry this Thanksgiving following the drive. Teachers used motivational tactics in their classrooms. Teachers formed teams, held competitions and used incentives like a "fiesta" party, a chance to watch a movie or just a "chill day" in class.

Teacher Lynn Burger said it was important to note, however, that the "prizes" weren't the motivating factor.

"The message wasn't 'you're getting something for free,'" Burger said. "It's about doing things for others."

Burger and the students were pleased to see such a jump from last year's collection, which totaled just 3,000-4,000 items. But Burger couldn't really explain it.

"We more than tripled what we collected last year," Burger said. "It became like a movement."

The Goodfellows don't know what caused the huge leap in collections, either. They're just happy to have the help. The Goodfellows delivered packages, grocery and gift cards to local families, including some 400 children and 100 seniors and adults with developmental disabilities.

"More than 10,000 cans of food is awesome and we’re thrilled," Goodfellows spokesman Richard Lerner said. "Things continue to be difficult for many in the Farmington area and we expect an increase in the number of families and seniors that will need assistance this holiday season. The greater Farmington area is truly blessed with people who are willing to support their neighbors in need."

Senior class president Austin Anthony said he and his fellow students were glad to be helping.

"There are homeless families in our Farmington community," Anthony said. "I wanted to collect some food to make sure they had enough to eat. Knowing that everyone is going to have a good Thanksgiving is why we do this."

bkadrich@hometownlife.com

Twitter: @bkadrich