Harvest of Love is one of Care and Share’s largest fundraiser, partnering with over 90 schools throughout Southern Colorado to raise money and food for 31 counties. The food collected from Harvest feeds families around the Pikes Peak region struggling with food insecurity during the holidays. 

Care and Share typically buys large quantities of food or works from donations, but the food is usually all of one kind and isn’t enough to last the entirety of the season. However, Harvest of Love supplies Care and Share with a variety of necessary foods and funds. This year, those contributions are more needed than ever. 

Under normal circumstances, about  1 in every 9 adults goes hungry and 1 in every 7 kids goes hungry. However under pandemic conditions, with a jump in unemployment rates and families living paycheck to paycheck, Feeding America projects that the numbers will jump to 1 in every 4 students going hungry, making up 18 million kids who won’t know where their next meal is coming from. With schools closed and breaks coming up, food-insecure families will have a harder time providing breakfasts and lunches for their kids. Feeding America also predicts that 1 in 6 adults will go hungry, encompassing over 50 million adults in the U.S.

Doherty High School’s participation in Harvest of Love will look different. Normally, Student Council hosts fundraising events, collects food daily during 3rd-period classes, and each member raises money individually. However, in adapting to COVID-19 protocols, Doherty’s student council has devised a new system for raising money and collecting food donations. 

On November 20th, Doherty PTA and SAC members will be collecting turkey donations in the Doherty West parking lot from 7:30 to 8:00 a.m. Turkey donations will also be accepted via Flip Cause, where funds will go directly to Care and Share to buy turkeys.  General donations can be made at this link.

Due to rising COVID-19 cases, D11 schools have all been moved to remote learning until next semester. Regular food donation collection will resume in January when students are back in the building. All scheduled fundraising activities have also been postponed until further notice. 

In a letter to the Doherty Community, Student Council said, “COVID may have thrown us a few curve balls lately, but we are determined to make Harvest happen. The need in our community is not going to go away. There are thousands who are facing hunger and struggling to make ends meet so we are going to try and help in whatever way we can.”

Over the years—since Harvest of Love’s inception in 1996 in the Doherty social studies office— Doherty has raised $729,110 and 8,179,722 pounds of food for Care and Share. Just last year, Doherty donated $50,154 and 511,787 pounds of food. 

“What Doherty does every year during Harvest makes a tremendous impact on our community and over the years our generosity has helped change the lives of thousands of people in Southern Colorado. We appreciate your support and hope that you will help us continue giving back to those who need our help,” said Student Council.