During the holiday season, many people donate food to those in need and one local academy did just that, giving hundreds of pounds of non-perishable items to the SLO Food Bank.
The Class 55 cadets of the Grizzly Youth Academy donated 408 pounds of peanut butter and other nut butters to the SLO Food Bank on Monday morning.
The donation was part of their Season of Hope Legacy project, and it’s the academy’s third year donating.
“It brings joy," said Cruz Espinoza, a Class 55 cadet. "We're helping our families in need. I get to feed somebody for a day or two or maybe, like, a whole week and it just feels good."
Cadets in the student council organized the donation and chose the SLO Food Bank as this year's recipient. Espinoza said the food bank needed different types of nut butters, so the cadets focused on those items.
One of the academy’s goals is to teach cadets the importance of community service. Cadet Howard Truong said giving back gives him a sense of pride.
“It feels great to give back to the community, you know, spread love," Truong said. "I know a lot of people come from, like, not so great places and it feels good to be able to give back to people who are in that situation currently.”
Cadets were given a tour of the food bank after they dropped off their donations.
To donate to the SLO Food Bank or receive donations, visit their website.
