Number of Participants: 3
Hours Donated: 20
Value of Time Served: $507
Event Type: Hunger
Activity: Schools
School: Medford High School
Date: April 7, 2025
Location:
Medford High School
Winthrop Street, Medford
MA
About:
Michael Piccolo, a senior at MHS, is currently working on a service learning project with two other students as part of their Successful Citizenship class. For their project, the group decided to organize a food drive to benefit St. Raphael’s Food Pantry in Medford, hoping to support local families facing food insecurity.
So far, they have collected a total of 123 items — including 90 cans, 20 boxes of pasta, and 13 other goods. Over the course of seven MHS games, they received strong support from both players and spectators. Michael shared that they are hopeful the donations will make a meaningful impact, especially as more people have been relying on the pantry since the pandemic and with the continued rise in grocery prices.
Initially, the group explored several approaches for the drive. Their teacher, Ms. Lanzilli, suggested collecting items at MHS sporting events, which Michael was especially excited about as a captain of the MHS baseball team. He believed his connections in the athletic community could help make the drive a success — and that proved true.
Mrs. Perry promoted the initiative on the MHS athletics website, the school principal helped by distributing their flyer, and coaches from Boys Volleyball, Boys Lacrosse, Girls Lacrosse, and Baseball teams helped spread the word to players and families. Ms. Lanzilli also supported the effort by offering extra credit to students who contributed.
The food drive is still ongoing, with the final collection scheduled for April 19th. Michael and his team are proud of the response so far and grateful for the opportunity to give back to the community.
