Service at Haverford is not mandatory, but it is expected.
These words can be heard in all corners of the school. From students conducting tours passing by Ms. Loos’ office to talks like Ranvir Gill’s Thanksgiving speech, service is a topic of discussion everywhere.
The can drive is a staple of Haverford’s service events. A three-week-long drive to collect cans for various local organizations, the can drive began during EA Week. Run by the Service Board and Service Learning Director Ms. Jini Loos, the can drive sits at the pinnacle of service with Empty Bowls in sheer scale.
“This year, we raised 10,243 cans for the can drive.”
Ms. jini loos
“This year, we raised 10,243 cans for the can drive,” Ms. Loos explained. “The split was around 6,000 from the upper school and 4,000 from the middle and lower schools.”
Students may have heard many reminders about the drive in the past month, but for good reason.
“It’s a lot better than last year,” Service Board Co-president Ranvir Gill said. “Last year, we only raised about 7,000 cans.”
When “a single can of soup can feed a family of four” in some communities, according to Ms. Loos, every single donation Haverford collects makes a tangible difference in the lives of those who receive this food.
What changed the turnout this year? Several factors could have contributed.
“We also had a very generous donation from the student council this year of 1,000 dollars,” Ms. Loos said. “That really helped.”
“We completely changed our approach this year,” Gill said. “We brought on a team of mainly underclassmen to help with the can drive, which really helped push the can drive. We used inter-form competitions and made it part of EA Day too.”
Gill gave two main speeches centering around the can drive.
“I don’t remember if anyone gave a speech last year or two years ago about the can drive, and I think that says something,” Gill said. “I feel like these speeches brought more attention to it. It’s usually Mr. Kolade, Mr. Leech, or Ms. Loos talking about it.”
The amazing can drive turnout this year bears good omens for the future.
“This year, we’re not running Empty Bowls, since that alternates year to year,” Gill said. “We’re trying to do more events with Inter-Ac schools, we have Toys for Tots coming up, and we are partnering with a local nonprofit by the name of Food4Philly, but right now we’re mainly looking to broaden our horizons to what’s possible for the service board.”