Hammond, IN – To help replenish the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana with a staple item, Bishop Noll students collected more than 1,300 jars of peanut butter this month. Student Council, partnering with the Advancement Office, ran the traditional Peanut Butter Drive and greatly exceeded the goal of collecting 800 jars.
For the past 12 years, Bishop Noll class of 1967 alum Bob Homrich has challenged Bishop Noll students to collect peanut butter to donate to the food bank. Homrich donates to Bishop Noll’s Annual Fund as a thank you for its collection efforts.
“That’s an unbelievable amount of peanut butter from this group. I am so proud of what these young adults can accomplish to help those who may be in greater need,” Homrich said.
The peanut butter challenge began after Homrich read an article about lack of food in Haiti. People were making pies out of dirt and water and baking them to eat, he said.
“I couldn’t wrap my mind around this … Many thoughts ran through my mind. I might not be able to reach out to them, but maybe I could do something more local and involve a larger group than just myself and so it began.”
Peanut butter, a staple that food banks run out of most often, is popular because children like it, it has a long shelf life, it is filling, and is a good source of protein for families that cannot afford meat. Helping replenish the food bank helps students remember others in need.
Bishop Noll instills in students the value of service to others. In addition to the peanut butter drive, students collected more than 10,000 items this fall to benefit the St. Joseph Food Bank in Hammond. Noll’s National Honor Society hosts and organizes multiple blood drives during the year and Campus Ministry students visit senior citizens at the neighboring Albertine Home.
For more information on enrollment for the 2020-21 school year, visit bishopnoll.org, email admissions@bishopnoll.org or call (219) 932-9058.