San Mateo High School Community Service

Since it’s inception in the 1980’s, San Mateo High School students have participated in our nationally recognized annual canned food drive. Each year our student body gathers as a whole to work towards the common goal of making sure that no one in San Mateo County goes hungry during the holiday season.At San Mateo High School, we pride ourselves in having the most ethnically and economically diverse student population in the district and it is our diversity that makes our drive even more powerful. Hunger is one of largest epidemics in the San Francisco Bay Area. 1 in 10 people in San Mateo County will rely on Second Harvest Food Bank for meals this holiday season. There are students within our own bearcat family that are affected by hunger. Our motivation for ending hunger is more than good cause: it’s personal.For 3 weeks every fall, San Mateo students spend numerous hours of their own time standing outside of grocery stores throughout the Peninsula asking for both canned goods and monetary donations. Steadfast in our purpose, we continue to collect, rain or shine, knowing that our canned food drive is helping thousands of our neighbors enjoy their holiday season without the worry of where their food is going to come from.Our canned food drive has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for holding The World’s Largest Food Drive in 2005 and each year we hope to continue our legacy of excellence by collecting as much food as possible through the help of generous donations from people all over the Bay Area.Together, as a community, our canned food drive will do more than provide food in need this holiday season. It will provide those in need with the reassurance that there are people who care and are willing to help.