'Blown away': Columbia Academy raises more than $70,000 to feed local households

Columbia Academy is celebrating the holiday season with a major gift to the region's churches and nonprofit organizations that support struggling families in Southern Middle Tennessee.

Students at the historic private Christian institution located near downtown Columbia have raised more than $70,000, representing 125,000 individual cans and packages of nonperishable food items, that will be distributed to the greater community in the days and weeks ahead.

The annual funding raising effort, carried out by the school's middle and high school students, marks the institution's largest contribution the community yet, school leaders said.

Just before heading out for Thanksgiving break last week, hundreds of students worked in unison to load thousands of packages of food into cars, trucks and trailers for wider distribution to the community.

"I am blown away," said Anne Marie Stern, the community director for The Well Outreach.

The organization offers bags filled with food to thousands of local students in Maury and Williamson counties and operates a food pantry in neighboring Spring Hill, which served 5,000 households this year.

"I am so thrilled to get to be a part of this legacy and witness such an expression of joyful generosity," Stern said. "I appreciate it so much. We are so grateful."

According to information shared by the State of Tennessee, 22.6% of children live in poverty. The range between the poorest and the wealthiest counties is significant, with a low of 5.2% in Williamson County and a high of nearly half, or 49.1%, in Lake County.

"I am proud of what we do, but most of all because of this canned food drive," said Jay Coleman, the school's 8th-grade class president, who addressed students and educators before the distribution process began last week.

After using the canned foods to create murals on the floor of the school’s gymnasium, Columbia Academy's students dismantled their creations and packed the food for delivery.

More than 1.5 million food items have been collected and distributed by Columbia Academy students through the annual event that has become known as the "Can Do" drive.

"I am so proud of what you all have done and what this community has done," said Jon Bennet, Columbia Academy’s upper school principal. "This is about letting God work through us."

The record-breaking contribution was met with praise form Columbia's elected officials and state leaders.

"We live in a very prosperous community, but there are those who struggle with us each and every day," Andy Ogles, mayor of Maury County, said.

Ogles, who attended the morning event, was joined by Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder and Rep. Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka.

"We live in one of the most generous counties of the state of Tennessee," Cepicky said.

Molder recalled hearing about the annual distribution, while he was a student at Columbia Central High School.

"This is something that Columbia Academy is known for," Molder said. "Columbia is a great community. We are blessed with bountiful generosity."

Reach Mike Christen at mchristen@c-dh.net. Follow him on Twitter at @MikeChristenCDH and on Instagram @michaelmarco. Please consider supporting his work and that of other Daily Herald journalists by subscribing to the publication.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Columbia Academy raises more than $70,000 to feed local households