Lucy Meneghello, Lucy Balish and Kevin Blair organize food donations that were later delivered to people in need.
Lucy Meneghello, Lucy Balish and Kevin Blair organize food donations that were later delivered to people in need.
St. John Fisher School in Southwest Portland has supported the charitable organization St. Vincent de Paul for about 45 years.

Year-round support culminates with a Christmas food drive to benefit Portlanders in need. Jim Stahl, a parishioner who has directed the effort for 28 years, teamed up with Deacon Scott Kolbet to lead the way.  

The power of tradition inspired eighth graders to transform the school cafeteria into a food drive staging area. For a month previous, parishioners, school families and the local Boy Scouts donated hundreds of canned and dry food items. Junior high students cheerfully gathered and sorted items into categories for package preparation.

Cash donations allowed the purchase of fresh produce and meats, which when all combined filled 400 boxes for 123 families in Southwest Portland and camps of migrant farm laborers.  

Father Richard Thompson blessed the food and and gave thanks for the effort of those giving. After the blessing, the student and parent volunteers delivered the food boxes.