Libertyville High collects food, cash for needy families

Libertyville High School students and staffers collected more than 10,000 items as part of this year’s food drive, officials announced Wednesday.

The drive culminated with the traditional human chain, in which teens and teachers teamed to pack the donated goods into delivery trucks.

More than $700 also was collected as part of the annual event, which benefits the Libertyville Township food pantry.

“As always, the LHS community has made an extraordinary effort to help those in need,” District 128 spokeswoman Mary Todoric said in an email.

The food drive began in early November. Cans of tuna, vegetables soup and other staples were brought in. So were packages of candy and cookies, said senior Michael Esposito, one of the organizers this year.

“It feels good to know that something we’ve worked on for the past month is going to benefit people around the holiday season,” Esposito said.

Students and employees spent Saturday boxing up the packages of donated food. Early Wednesday, they lined up to pass the boxes through the school and onto the delivery trucks.

School psychologist Maggie Norton was among the employees who participated in the effort.

“I got my workout in this morning,” she said afterward.

Norton joined the Libertyville High staff this year, so this was her first time on the food chain.

“It’s really great to see what a sense of community there is here, and I’m fortunate to be a part of it,” Norton said. “It’s encouraging to see students and faculty work together to help those who are in need.”