The Student Newspaper of Saint Peter's Prep

The Petroc

The Student Newspaper of Saint Peter's Prep

The Petroc

The Student Newspaper of Saint Peter's Prep

The Petroc

The Food Pantry: Prep’s Newest Mission for the Community

The Food Pantry: Preps Newest Mission for the Community

Saint Peter’s Prep has much to be proud of: its academics, its athletics, the fact that it is the only Jesuit high school in New Jersey, and, simply, its outstanding reputation for developing young boys into “men for and with others.”

One significant event that might otherwise be overlooked because of its lack of recognition is our annual Food Drive. Directed by Ms. Toomb, the director of Campus Ministry, and with the supervision of Mr. Dougherty, the Assistant Director of Campus Ministry, the Food Drive is essential to the mission of the Saint Peter’s Prep community.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Ms. Toomb and ask her a couple of questions about the our new food pantry and its mission.

I started off by asking, “Who do you try to help out?” She quickly replied that, “We are meant to serve people who are hungry. Typically we will get the working poor, people who have a job but can’t make ends meet. We spread the word throughout all meal programs and word of mouth. In other words, we help out anyone who is hungry and in our local area.” I then went on to ask her, “What made you want to do the food drive?” Pensively she thought for a moment and then replied, “Ten years ago, Prep was attached to the Saint Peter’s Church and they supplied the food. Then, when it disconnected, questions arose. David Bovich, class of 2015, came to me and asked if he could build a storage room right outside the Campus Ministry office for his Eagle-scout project. I thought it was a great idea. He rented a freezer and refrigerator and put it all together. Bovich then asked Father Reiser for help because Father Reiser wanted to start it originally.”

After hearing of its origins, I asked, “When did you actually start it?” Ms. Toomb answered that, “The first distribution was Saturday, October 19th, and we had four customers. Then we had nine on the second one. Each time, they’ve been spreading the word and it’s grown.” To conclude the interview, I asked her my final question, “Who did you start it with?” She responded, “Dave Bovich was the beginning but it really has begun as the result of the whole Prep community. We received money from the sports games and the early food donations came from the homerooms. When people come, they get a bag of basics: pasta with sauce, vegetables, fruits, and a second bag is chosen by the person.”

It is clear that the Food Drive is a very important activity of the Prep community as it continues to help the people around the area. I’m sure it will only continue to develop in both scope and reach and I believe all of Prep should be proud to be a part of that growth.