Pleasant Valley High School junior Tyler Mann has launched the first ever Have A Heart - Fill the Cart Food Drive to benefit the West End Food Pantry. The food drive is going on now through Feb. 28 and is actually a friendly competition between PVHS and Jim Thorpe Area High School.

Anyone who wants to help either school collect the most food can drop off their donations at the high school buildings.

Mann said they are accepting healthy boxed or canned foods only, such as products made from whole wheat grains, canned fish, peanut butter, canned vegetables and granola.

“I’m super proud of Tyler,” said Karena Thek, the director of the West End Food Pantry. “I think he’s an amazing young man.”

Mann is the founder of his school’s HOSA chapter, which is an international organization for students interested in health care professions. He is also a volunteer at the food pantry.

“Hearing that 900 people came to a food pantry is one thing. Seeing 900 people come to a food bank is another,” he said. “We have an organization. We have volunteers and a supportive school. Why not do something?”

Mann came up with the idea for the food drive competition and reached out to 11 school districts in Monroe and Carbon counties. He had hoped to get multiple school districts to participate, but the other 10 said no since many are operating partially or fully online.

Disappointed? Yes, but Mann isn’t dissuaded. He has a trophy on order for the winning school district and a handbook laying out directions on how to run the event for next year.

“Everything is a win-win,” Thek said. “He’s got this staged for years to come.”

Mann and his friend Madison Fava started volunteering at the food pantry last March when school closed and activities were canceled. They had the free time and wanted to do something positive.

Thek was thankful for their help.

“Our numbers went up for certain in March and April,” she said about the number of families seeking food assistance. “Our numbers skyrocketed.”

One Saturday, the food pantry had 450 families. “Typically, we have that in a month,” she said.

The numbers have come down, but the food pantry still gives food to about 25 to 40 families over their usual numbers before the pandemic.

Each family of four gets about 80 pounds of food. Thek said she would like to give out 100 pounds but she gives what she has available.

The families get produce, dry goods, toiletries, and food for the freezer and refrigerator.

“I want to give a big thanks to the West End Food Pantry. Because of the food pantry, we are able to take our dream and make an impact,” Mann said about being able to hold the food drive.

The food pantry is open from 9 a.m. to noon two Saturdays a month at the community center at 516 Kunkletown Road, Kunkletown. It operates as a drive-thru, so vehicles line up and the prebagged items are placed in their trunks. It’s contact-free, Thek said.

For information on the Have a Heart - Fill the Cart food drive, go to westendpantry.com/fill-the-cart.