Dinuba High School has kicked off its annual canned food drive, one of the most consistent community traditions on campus. Teachers choose to participate by collecting cans in their classrooms, and students donate through whichever classes they have. All donations go directly to Open Gate, a local nonprofit that provides food and support to families in need.

Leadership adviser Erin Tobias explained how the drive works. “Our goal is always set by individual teachers in their classrooms, so it varies based on each program or teacher. Our schoolwide goal is to always just donate as much as possible.”

According to Tobias, certain groups stand out every year. “We have a couple of teachers who always contribute the most each year. Mrs. Kiehn’s AP classes and our NJROTC program. Usually, classes that offer extra credit end up with the most cans.”

At the end of the drive, Open Gate sends a box truck to DHS to collect all donated items. “It’s usually half a truck worth of cans,” Tobias said. “They have told us in the past that they rely on donations from our school to get their pantry through the holiday season, and we really make a difference in our community.”

Tobias hopes students walk away with more than just the excitement of classroom competition. “We hope that students feel like they made a difference in others’ lives and helped fulfill a need that we have in our town. Generosity is something that is a win-win because people feel good about giving, and the ones who need it feel good about being supported.”

AP teacher Fadra Kiehn, whose classes consistently donate large amounts, motivates her students by sharing real stories. “Usually tell them stories of how Open Gate has helped people in our community,” she said.

For Kiehn, the drive is personal. She has seen the impact of Open Gate firsthand. “I have seen people who have gone through Open Gate and through the house that Open Gate supports, and the lives that have been changed.” She said those experiences taught her how essential donations truly are. “And I know that without donations, they aren’t able to feed them the way they need to.”

Her connection deepened when her daughter worked at one of Open Gate’s transitional houses. That experience changed how her daughter viewed the world, and it shaped how Kiehn talks to her students about the drive. “And my daughter worked there for a while, and the impact it had on her was a dramatic impact that changed her outlook on how you treat people, and that sometimes something somebody’s going through is beyond their control, something they didn’t do to themselves, and that she just came to love the people that would go through that house.”

Kiehn often shares those personal stories to help students understand why their donations matter. “I tell them the story of my daughter working there and the impact that she saw and how it changed her life, not just their lives.”

The excitement around the drive has created memorable moments in her classroom over the years. “I have seen students get so competitive to beat each other out that we had so many cans in my room we couldn’t even walk. There were just so many cans.”

What stands out most to her, though, is watching students realize the impact of their effort. “And but it was more the students getting to load it into the truck for Open Gate and realizing how much food had been donated to help people out. It was a big moment for those kids.”

Kiehn wants students to remember that no donation is too small. “Open Gate needs every donation. Anything helps. And if you are able to give them anything, vegetables, noodles, tomato sauce, anything, they can make something out of it.” She also pointed out how essential these ingredients are to Open Gate’s ability to feed families. “It is a requirement that the people who work there cook, but if they don’t have the stuff needed to make it the food, they’re not able to. So anything we can give them helps them.”

Kiehn fully supports the drive and emphasized the importance of DHS to Open Gate’s mission. “I actually am one hundred percent behind the canned food drive. I just know that Open Gate doesn’t have money that comes in. So it comes from us. And I know that the high school food drive is one of their largest contributions to them that helps them with their food.”

As the drive continues, DHS encourages students to donate whatever they can. A single can may feel small, but together the DHS community helps keep families fed throughout the holiday season.