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BGHS students trick-or-treat for local food pantry
Instead of candy, BGHS Student Council members Hanah Chang and Andrea Mau asked for canned foods Oct. 31 to benefit a local food pantry.
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Updated: November 8, 2012 2:34PM
BUFFALO GROVE — High school kids, in costume, going door-to-door on Halloween often looks like a bunch of greedy or suspicious teens.
And Hanah Chang, the ringleader of this bunch, acknowledged that they received some hard looks at first.
But when they explained their mission, the crew’s bags filled up — with non-perishable food items for a Buffalo Grove pantry.
The group was from Buffalo Grove High School’s Student Council, and they knocked on doors last week looking for donations for Kingswood United Methodist Church’s food depository.
“We think it’s a really good way to give back to the community,” said Chang, president of the 2012-13 BGHS Student Council.
The folks at Kingswood agreed. They helped the Bison unload three carloads of donations, all gathered during the council’s one night of trick-or-treating Oct. 31.
“It was pretty significant,” said Jim Gibson, who manages the local pantry.
Student Council advisor Rich Schram said this is the school’s fourth annual food drive, which averages around 1,000 cans each year.
“It’s a concept that’s been done at some other schools before,” he said. “We’re trying to push it hard, and help out the food pantry down the street. We probably haven’t pushed it as hard as we need to.”
To add legitimacy to the cohort that may look dubious on the surface, Schram prints notes on BGHS letterhead explaining their work. Chang said that it can sometimes be hard, though, to give an explanatory speech to homeowners expecting children.
“There’s definitely a misconception at first,” she said. “Adults don’t like to see high school kids trick-or-treating.”
But, she added that no one turned her group away empty-handed.
Of course, the council’s mission also gave homeowners an excuse to raid the back of their shelves, and the kids sometimes get back to their cars with expired cans or damaged goods. Chang said they were grateful for everything they received.
“They’ll take the time to look through their pantries and find us something,” she said. “We think it’s really nice to find a way to give back, and that’s more the focus.”
Gibson said BGHS’ haul should keep the pantry stocked for a least three weeks, maybe even a month, depending on how much of the new supply is usable.
