Student Council’s (STUCO) eighth annual canned food drive kicked off last week, lasting from Nov. 1 through Nov. 20. Students are encouraged to bring in cans to their first hour classes during this time.

All cans are donated to “Circle of Concern”, a program that helps feed the hungry in St. Louis County. Each month, the organization provides food and personal care items for over 1,700 people in the area.

The canned food drive began with students “Trick or Treating for cans.” On Halloween, many students collected cans from their neighbors as opposed to candy. One student who participated in “Trick or Treating for cans” was junior Jessie Ludwig.

“My friends Keena Patel, Alli Grant and I were in a small neighborhood, so we decided to go get a few cans from the nearby houses. It was super fun because we all dressed up in costumes, so it felt like we were actually trick or treating, but we were helping a good cause” Ludwig said.

In total, Ludwig said the three probably collected around 50 cans from the 7-10 houses they visited.

Last year, Lafayette collected around 18,000 cans for Circle of Concern. The goal this year is 25,000.

STUCO Chair Member David Choate said, “Bringing the school and the greater community together creates a sense of togetherness and teaches everyone involved the importance of giving a helping hand to those in need.”

In addition, the class that collects the most cans wins a pizza party.

“Get out there and collect or bring in cans to help Lafayette meet our goal,” Choate said.