McCarthy Middle School Begins Annual Food Drive

CHELMSFORD, MA — The pandemic has exacerbated the food insecurities across Massachusetts, including Chelmsford's annual food drive. As families rethink their holiday plans, others in the commonwealth are trying to figure out where their next meal will come from.

McCarthy Middle School math teacher Tom Gallagher said that point was hammered home for him recently when he saw on the news that the Salvation Army Store and Donation Center in nearby Medford had to exponentially increase its own efforts.

Usually during the holiday season the Medford Salvation Army feeds about 60 families, he learned.

"Right now they’re feeding about 600," he said. "And that’s just in Medford. I’m sure this is the case all over right now."

This year the need is greater than ever for the annual food drive at the schools, according to Gallagher, who has volunteered with Project 300 food drive for the past 14 years with the school.

But it's also the most challenging, as the number of people testing positive continues to increase.

"This year we’ve had to approach it differently," Gallagher said.

In previous years, Project 300 has averaged around 30,000 cans per year, mostly from students bringing them to school daily.

There have been competitions between classrooms, grade levels and individual students for the largest contributions, with prizes awarded to each. Because students are attending from home, or only part-time, with the hybrid model those types of incentives aren't as easy to facilitate.

Gallagher worries this year that will result in about half the number of canned foods as previous years.

So this year they're getting a little extra help: On Thursday, the Brickhouse Pizza in North Chelmsford will donate 50 percent of proceeds from deliveries and dining in (for food only) when customers mention "Project 300" when they order.

The non-perishable food drive at the school opened Monday and runs through Nov. 20 to benefit families in need throughout the Merrimack Valley. Each day, the Salvation Army of Lowell retrieves the non-perishables and distributes them to families in need throughout the Merrimack Valley.

Non-perishable food items can be dropped off in bins located at the front and rear of the McCarthy Middle School at 240 North Rd.

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Project 300 began in 1975 by McCarthy Middle School social studies teacher Al Thomas. He wanted to inspire his students to bring in 300 canned food items to donate to the local food shelter in time for Thanksgiving. Since it began, the school district estimates that some 750,000 cans have been donated.

Read more about Project 300, which is one of the largest food drives in the state.