Blue Jays Show Spirit of Gratitude by Distributing 450 Thanksgiving Baskets

Posted November 25, 2015 / Last updated February 24, 2016

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Jesuit students, faculty, and staff crowd the Robért Fresh Market on Wednesday, Nov. 25, shopping for groceries to fill baskets for the 2015 Thanksgiving Drive.

Jesuit students, faculty, and staff crowd the Robért Fresh Market on Wednesday, Nov. 25, shopping for groceries to fill baskets for the 2015 Thanksgiving Drive.

Living their motto of “Men For Others,” Jesuit High School students, faculty and staff, and alumni distributed Thanksgiving food boxes to approximately 450 needy families throughout New Orleans on Wednesday, Nov. 25. Through the Thanksgiving Drive, and other service occasions, Blue Jays learn to be Men of Faith and Men for Others.

The day began at 5:30 a.m. at Robért Fresh Market where students, faculty, and staff met to purchase the perishable goods needed to complete the baskets already begun with non-perishable food collected over the last month.

Basket Preparation and Delivery

After shopping, students then returned to campus and worked with their homeroom classmates to prepare the baskets for delivery. Each homeroom prepared three or more baskets for delivery. Several clubs, athletic teams, and organizations also got together to prepare additional baskets.

Each year, Jesuit alumni — led by the Class of 1983 — also assist by providing one turkey for each basket. Many alumni and their families, with the help of the Alumni Association, came to campus Tuesday night to help pack boxes for needy families throughout the metro area.

The alumni effort started earlier this month when Mark Alvarez ’83 spoke to students at Morning Assembly, and continued yesterday as members of the Alumni Association gathered food items to pack boxes for 180 needy families in the metro area. Several individual alumni classes have also adopted families and continued organizing boxes for today’s delivery.

This morning the school community gathered in the Chapel of the North American Martyrs for a Thanksgiving prayer service. Senior Victor Castellon and Mr. Stephen Kramer, S.J. each spoke about the greater meaning of Thanksgiving to the group of students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni gathered in the chapel.

Afterward, the crowd left the chapel and took off in all directions across the city to deliver more than 400 baskets to the homes of those who would not otherwise enjoy a Thanksgiving meal.

The annual Thanksgiving Drive has been conducted by the students of Jesuit since 1927, and possibly earlier, when the Sodality placed boxes in each classroom for the collection of food items for the city’s poor.

The drive it is organized and executed by the students under the guidance of Kevin Murphy ’00, director of the school’s Community Service Program.

Thanksgiving Day Mass

The entire Jesuit community is invited to celebrate Mass on Thanksgiving Day at 10 a.m. in the Chapel of the North American Martyrs.

Thanksgiving Drive Photo Galleries

Thanksgiving Drive Grocery Shopping, Prayer Service, Baskets and Delivery

Alumni Thanksgiving Drive

Watch Coverage of Jesuit’s 2015 Thanksgiving Drive

WWL-TV’s– Jesuit High School Thanksgiving Drive

WGNO – Buffet in a bag! Jesuit High School delivers Thanksgiving door to door to 460 families

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