FCHS held its first food drive of the year on Nov. 13-19, encouraging students in 3rd block classes to pitch in to help fight against hunger. The goal was to gather canned goods for an FCHS event on Nov. 22, which offered free food and clothing to community members. FCHS classes competed to see which one could raise the most food for the food drive.

“Mrs. [Stephanie] Kelley’s class won by a landslide,” said senior and SGA student Natalie Gomez, who was in charge of the food drive.

FCHS distributed the donated food to the “In Memory of Shod” Food Drive in the FCHS gym on Nov. 22. The event was created to bring awareness of food insecurity and honor former Fluco student Rashod Gough, who passed away in a motor vehicle accident.

“His brother, Greg Gough, whom I taught, wanted to honor Rashod in a way that truly reflected who he was. That’s how the event ‘In the Name of Shod’ started. It’s become a meaningful way to keep Rashod’s memory alive and continue the spirit of giving that he was known for,” said FCHS Assistant Principal Chad White. “It’s become a meaningful way to keep Rashod’s memory alive and continue the spirit of giving that he was known for,” he added.

At the event, FCHS staff handed out free turkeys, canned foods, hot meals, baby supplies, clothing, shoes, and jackets to community members in need.

According to The Federation of Virginia Food Banks, one in eight Virginians, just over 1,000,000 people, face hunger. In addition, one in seven children experiences food insecurity. The Federation of Virginia Food Banks has been stepping up its efforts, serving 175 million pounds of groceries to families in 2024.