Max Perry, CSHS junior, and a collection of more than 1,200 cereal boxes
They say breakfast is thebrmost important meal of the day. But for those less fortunate, it's not always abrguarantee. National Honor Society (NHS) members at Carroll Senior High wantedbrto do something to change that. For the first 10 days back to school afterbrwinter break, NHS students hosted a cereal drive benefitting the BatteredbrWomen's Foundation, a nonprofit that offers long-term support for victims ofbrdomestic violence.
Junior Max Perrybrorganized the collection, which brought in boxes and boxes—1,275 to be exact—ofbrall different kinds of cereal. A truckload of cereal arrived at the Foundationbron Martin Luther King Day. We caught up with Perry to learn more about thebrdrive and the giving spirit of the CSHS NHS.
SouthlakebrStyle: Why didbrCSHS NHS choose to assist the Battered Women’s Foundation?
Perry: After speaking with a volunteer at the Battered Women’sbrFoundation (BWF) and hearing about their needs, I decided to start a cerealbrdrive at the beginning of 2016. I spoke with Karen Knight, a sponsor of NHS atbrCSHS, and she was happy to let me proceed.
SS:brDid the nonprofit request cereal in particular?
Perry: There is a need for so many things at every nonprofit. Severalbrpeople from the BWF described the cereal that they were giving to families asbr“brown sawdust.” They went crazy with the notion of having their pantry filledbrwith brightly colored boxes to put smiles on the kids’ faces. I haven’t seen sobrmany people excited to see a box of Apple Jacks!
SS:brIs this the first year for CSHS NHS to do this drive?
Perry: CSHS NHS has done cereal drives in the past. The beginningbrof the year is the perfect time to fill the anticipated low pantries.
SS:brHow many NHS members participated?
Perry: More than I ever could have anticipated. The turnout was abrgreat surprise. I loved the way thebrCSHS NHS student community backed this great cause.
SS:brWhat was the experience like overall?
Perry: My overall experience was great. I knew that the CSHS NHSbrcommunity was hardworking and generous, but I was genuinely surprised that webrwere able to donate more than 1,200 boxes of cereal. During lunch and afterbrschool there were always NHS students helping me carry the boxes to my car.brWhen I saw the BWF’s faces light up as they saw the cereal, I knew the hardbrwork paid off. I am definitely looking forward to doing it next year.
SS:brAnything else you'd like to say?
Perry: Karen Knight, CSHS teacher and NHS advisor, allowed me tobrdo this project. Without allowing us to use her room, it could not havebrhappened.