By Mary Leaver, Editor

The students at Oklahoma City's Belle Isle Enterprise Middle School are relatively new donors to the annual Oklahoma Department of Human Services canned food drive, but they're quickly getting the hang of things.

In only their second year, the Belle Isle students have increased their donation by nearly 1,000 pieces.

The BIEMS food drive concluded on Nov. 12 and students rounded up 2,742 canned and boxed items to donate to OKDHS clients who otherwise might not be able to put enjoy a Thanksgiving Day meal. Last year, the students donated 1,777 canned and boxed goods.

“We would be unable to assist many Oklahomans if not for the donations that we receive from the community," said Karen Jacobs, coordinator, OKDHS Office of Volunteerism. “These students are making a difference in the lives of many families with each and every food item they have donated.”

Jacobs and OKDHS staff and volunteers stopped by the school to congratulate the students and to box the donations and load them into a truck.

While the students' enthusiasm for the project is because of their desire to support their fellow Oklahomans during the holiday season, the spirit of competition also played a part in the canned food drive. The Belle Isle student leadership team organized the food drive and the competition.

Charlotte Hammon, Belle Isle student leadership team sponsor, explained that the class that donated the most items won a free pizza party. Hammon said Dan Covey's seventh grade science class collected 356 items.

Any class that collected more than 200 items received a day in casual clothes, instead of the school's usual uniform, she added.

Belle Isle's sixth graders donated 845 canned and boxed goods. The seventh graders had 915 pieces and the eighth graders brought in the most with 982.

In addition to the Thanksgiving food drive, OKDHS is also gearing up to collect donations of Christmas gifts for children and teens in state custody.

Anyone seeking to volunteer or donate may contact OKDHS at (405) 521-3646.