Over the past 38 years CAD4HOPE has impacted the community. Collegedale Academy students have been collecting can goods during the Thanksgiving season each year to share with the community.
This year the students’ efforts will be shared with the Brainerd Community Food Pantry.
Collection bags are distributed to every student and more are available at the school for students to bring food from home or solicit their friends and neighbors to help with our food collection this year.
The goal this year is “21 in 2021.” Twenty-one pounds of food collected by each student, from the youngest early childhood education student to the nearly graduated senior, to help those in need in the community.
Students can bring food to school to donate until Thursday.
The Brainerd Food pantry will be picking up the can goods most days this week at 10:30 a.m. at each Collegedale Academy building (elementary, middle and high), with Thursday expected to be the largest day for donations.
On Wednesday, CA will be dropping off the donated items at the Brainerd Food Pantry.
"CAD4HOPE all started with a beloved, former, Collegedale Academy bible teacher, the late Richard Cadavero – Cad," officials said. "Cad had the vision of Collegedale Academy students making a positive impact on the community. And, that they have."
In the last 38 years, Collegedale Academy has served the area community with their annual CAD4HOPE food drive. In these three decades 500,000 food items and $75,000 for more food items has been collected to supply area food pantries.
“This has become an event the students and surrounding community anticipate and appreciate. Community service is part of our curriculum and, more importantly, a part of our value system at CA. CAD4HOPE is one of several ways our students participate in community service,” agree Collegedale Academy Chaplains and Event Coordinators Chris Massengill and Tabor Nudd. “Our students, administration, teachers and parents all participate in the food collection drive. We realize this type of teaching has just as much impact as our daily academics.”
“21 in 2021” has the potential to bring 16,000 pounds of food to serve the Brainerd Food Pantry.