On December 3, 2013 ABC News came to New Trier to cover Girls Club and Triship’s outstanding effort on their canned food drive for the Chicago Food Depository.  According to members of Girls Club, New Trier is one of the top contributors to the Chicago Food Depository.

Other members are also excited about the media coverage. Junior Liza Salberg, a Girls Club member, said “I think it is time we get our voices out. People in our community need our help and support.”  Salberg also believes that this year canned food drive was especially successful because of the help of the media: “the incentive to be on the news was crucial.”

Nonetheless, the 2013 food drive took a lot of hard work from each member of Triship and Girls Club. Junior Member Maddy Karnes said, “[Each member of the club] had a quota of 100 cans.”

“We stood outside of the grocery store and people were very generous.” Salberg also commented about the work that went into collecting the canned goods.

“It depends on how you executed collecting. For me, it was a bit challenging because I stood outside the Grand for a few hours and some people just completely ignore you. But, some people are very nice;  you just have to get your point across quickly and try to be as convincing as you can to make people want to contribute,” she said.

Senior Caroline Rooney also elaborated on how some members were able to work with Dominick’s in Northfield: “One of our board members, Jen Lindblad, was able to contact a manager at the [store]. We stood outside all day on Sunday, the 10^th, and we collected cans from generous shoppers. It was such a great experience and so kind of Dominick’s to let us stand outside and collect.” Amanda Fisher, a Junior Girls Club member, also commented on working with Dominick’s saying “Girls Club members handed out flyers to show what products the shoppers could buy to help our cause. We were overwhelmed by the amount of grocery donations we received at Dominick’s and I think that will impact the potential increase in cans from last year to this year,”  she said.

Rooney confirmed “The canned food drive was definitely a success. We are currently unsure of our total amount of cans, but our goal is 25,000 pounds.”

Every can helps those in need. “The amount of soup cans and canned vegetables that you see at Can Jam is incredible; being able to feed that many people who can’t feed themselves makes the Chicagoland area and the world a better, more human place,” Fisher said. Rooney also commented on the difference the canned food drive has on the community.  She said “The community has been profoundly affected by the canned food drive. Our canned food drive helps the community get into the spirit of giving right before the holiday season begins.”