Prep to again take part in Great Ignatian Challenge food drive

If Prep reaches the goal of 20 items* per student, the school will be granted a holiday on the day after Superbowl, Mon., Feb. 4!

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Following a very successful food drive last year, Fairfield Prep is once again joining several area Jesuit schools in the Great Ignatian Challenge in 2018 to raise awareness of hunger in our communities while filling local food banks and pantries with tens of thousands of pounds of much-needed provisions for needy families.

Prep is one of six Jesuit schools from the New York metro area participating in a friendly but spirited competition, which runs from October 22 to November 19. The schools compete to see who can amass the highest number of food items in the 30-day period, with all proceeds going to local organizations that provide for those in need.

In 2017, Prep students and their families collected approximately 11,500 items, exceeding previous years' efforts. The items were then given to three local charities: Action for Bridgeport Community Development (ABCD), The Church of the Blessed Sacrament food pantry, and Operation Hope.

Prep will again donate all of the good collected to these three above charities.

Prep students can donate by bringing goods to school, or by purchasing goods through our donation page on the website yougivegoods.com.

This is the third year of the Great Ignatian Challenge, and the second year with Prep included. A donor who was inspired by the existing Thanksgiving food drives at each school has pledged up to $250,000 for tuition assistance at the participating schools and has challenged donors from each school to also take part in the Challenge. Intended to further highlight the spirit of giving and generosity among the student bodies at Jesuit high schools in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, the donation will be divided among the schools based on the amount of food collected per student.

The Challenge derives its name from the 16th-century saint, Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, who taught, "Love consists of sharing what one has and what one is with those one loves. Love ought to show itself in deeds more than in words."  These six schools are putting those words into action.

*No Ramen noodles please

News12 recently profiled the food drive.

View a slideshow of last year's food drives below.