Local students help fight hunger

NORFOLK, Va. - Local students are doing their part to help fight hunger and you can help too!

The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia held a kickoff rally for its student food drive on Tuesday.

Students performed skits about hunger at the Foodbank on Tidewater Drive in Norfolk. 30 public and private high schools on the Southside are collecting non-perishable food items. Those schools include Kellam, Landstown, Booker T. Washington, Atlantic Shores Christian, Granby, I.C. Norcom, Kempsville, and Tallwood.

The nationwide "Feeding America" network campaign is meant to build leadership, volunteerism, and community involvement, while helping families in need. 

WAVY & Fox 43's Nicole Livas gave thanks and inspirational words to the students as they kicked off their campaign.

Daniel Midgett is a senior at Atlantic Shores Christian School in Virginia Beach. "We'll put out branches and boxes at banks and restaurants and we have a church and elementary school associated with our school so we'll put out as many boxes as we can and encourage people to bring it in," he told WAVY.com. "We do it because we want to help those who don't have food like we do, and we know it's not a fun feeling to be hungry."

The students weren't the only ones performing Tuesday night, the "Joe Gosman Band" provided live entertainment as well.

Last year the students collected over 70,000 pounds of food. The goal this year is to collect over 100,000 pounds.

The student food drive ends on November 11 with an awards celebration luncheon at the Foodbank on Tidewater Drive in Norfolk, at 11:00 a.m. FOX43 TV is a proud sponsor of the event.