Every fall Xavier College Preparatory students dedicate themselves to giving food to those in need. Through the annual canned food drive this year from Oct. 20 to Nov. 14, Gators strove to give back and uplift those with food insecurity in Arizona through the non-profit organization St. Vincent De Paul.
At the end of the canned food drive, Xavier totals each grade with the cans donated and the grade that has the most cans gets a day off from school. The four-week long fundraiser for cans gave students, faculty and staff, parents and supporters of the school time to donate, giving back to communities in need.
The canned food drive is hosted by Xavier’s National Honor Society each year. Every morning, a group of NHS members volunteers its time toward the drive by helping count and collect cans for St. Vincent De Paul.
National Honor Society moderator Tara Metzger said,” The most inspiring part is seeing how year after year, students and families rise to the occasion with genuine enthusiasm and generosity. Even as leadership and classes change, the tradition endures and grows stronger.”
In 1994, Xavier introduced the canned food drive, hoping the community would participate and help those in need. In last year’s 2024 canned food drive, Xavier was able to raise 693,683 cans and $70,000 in cash donations.
Every year, Xavier is able to break its record from the previous year. With an increasing amount of cans donated, each year the Xavier community has the opportunity to increase its impact on the Phoenix area through St.Vincent De Paul.
President of NHS Flannery Walsh ‘26 emphasized, “My favorite part is in the mornings where we, NHS, bring a Karaoke machine and good vibes, making people want to be there to volunteer and donate.”
Members of the community are able to donate to the canned food drive by giving cans, cash and tax credits. Tax credits enable students to donate dollar-to-dollar tax credits with a max of $475 for singles and $987 for joint filers.
To increase student participation, Xavier started “Can Your Skirt Day” where a student opts to forego her traditional Xavier skirt for sweans attire if she donates $5 dollars or 10 cans. At Xavier, sweans is an option for students to wear sweat pants or jeans for a donation to a specific cause.
Ahlyha Barrios ‘26, NHS Member stated, “It is really uplifting to see everyone in the community come together and donate for such an important cause. When I volunteer on Can Your Skirt Days I can really see the impact Xavier has.”
Besides “Can Your Skirt Day” Xavier also promotes the canned food drive throughout the four weeks with fundraisers and competitions. On Thursday Nov. 13, NHS hosted a bake sale to raise extra money with baked goods donated by NHS members. Each treat sold for $1 in order to bring in money for the drive.
Xavier has a competition among the students in and out of their own grades. During one grade-designated week, students compete for which homeroom can raise the most cans. The winning homeroom for the grade receives donuts the following Monday.
For its commitment to aiding communities across the Phoenix area through the food drive, Xavier was featured on AZ Family on Wednesday, Nov. 5.
“Beyond the numbers, the drive fosters a culture of empathy and awareness among our students, reminding us that our actions have a lasting, tangible impact on our neighbors facing food insecurity,” Metzger said.
