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Aug 07, 2023

Bishop's School students pack food bags for homeless people ahead of new school year

Working feverishly in teams, students from The Bishop’s School in La Jolla got together assembly-line-style Aug. 14 to create snack bags for area homeless people. The students put together small bags

Working feverishly in teams, students from The Bishop’s School in La Jolla got together assembly-line-style Aug. 14 to create snack bags for area homeless people.

The students put together small bags containing a bottle of water, granola bars, oranges, peanut butter and jelly packets. Once 10 bags were assembled, they were placed in larger black bags for pickup and distribution by the Lucky Duck Foundation, a nonprofit that seeks to fund shelters and homeless support programs throughout San Diego County.

“We’re trying to pack 3,000 food and water packs, which the Lucky Duck Foundation ... will distribute to our homeless neighbors in the next week,” said Jackie Gomez, director of service and social innovation for The Bishop’s School.

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The effort is a service project that enables “our new ninth- and 10th-graders [and older students] … to get to know each other and do something good for our community,” Gomez said.

To add a personal touch, the students wrote cards for the recipients.

“Not just short sentences [but] pretty long in-depth cards that go into who [the students] are and some inspiring messages,” Gomez said. “These [packages] are more than a bag; they are getting a bag that was packed by someone that cares about them, and it gives them hope. That’s why the letters are important.”

Later in the day, Bishop’s middle school students participated in a similar activity.

Incoming high school junior Blanche Arnold said the event is special because “we included incoming freshmen and other grades coming to our school, so it’s been nice to meet some people and they can see what we do on campus.”

Community service projects provide “a chance to learn and see what is happening around me,” she added.

“These [packages] are more than a bag; [recipients] are getting a bag that was packed by someone that cares about them, and it gives them hope.”

— Jackie Gomez, director of service and social innovation for The Bishop’s School

Incoming senior Mia Gaspar said similar food-packing events at other locations done by the Lucky Ducklings — a service club that conducts projects that benefit the Lucky Duck Foundation — always serve as a “bonding experience,” so students wanted to do it on campus.

“It’s really about being a part of my community and knowing I’m doing the right thing,” Gaspar said. “It’s really rewarding.” ◆