Organizations around Central High School are coming up with innovative ways to help the less fortunate this holiday season. The members of the National Honor Society had the pleasure of sorting and labeling canned goods and produce at the Chattanooga Area Food Bank on November 24 for their group community service project.

“It was more fun than I thought it would be, and it was very cleansing for the soul,” shared Katy Pollock, who is a senior this year at Central.

Participants literally “whistled while they worked.” They had a process resembling an assembly line as they labeled and sorted goods into bags and boxes. There was deep conversation and even singing among students.

“We were all friends when we arrived, but when we left, I felt closer to everyone involved. We sang Christmas music and even songs from the movie Pitch Perfect, which was fun,” she continued. “The person in charge said that our group worked faster than he had ever seen.”

Being a member of the National Honor Society is about more than just grades – it is about being a well-rounded person as well. Members are required to do a group and individual service project.

“We chose the food bank this year because it was close to Thanksgiving and I knew they would be needing help to sort the donations. Another reason was that our group participated last year and everyone enjoyed working there,” explained Mr. Joseph Evans, who is the sponsor of NHS.

The group accomplished a remarkable amount of work in very little time. More than 300 cans were labeled and boxed, and several 5×5 crates of bagged produce were packed.

What can you accomplish this holiday season?