Year 12 students from Australind's Our Lady of Mercy College have made a "marvelous" contribution to the annual Give a Damn, Give a Can campaign.
The campaign is organised by the Rotary Club of Bunbury Leschenault and calls on people to donate non-perishable food items which then go to a charity such as the In-Town Centre, Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul.
The club's schools coordinate, Vic Puzey said the year 12 students collected 1185 cans which have already gone to the charities.
"Some of the students used their own job money to buy the goods," he said.
The Give a Damn, Give a Can campaign has been running for 29 years and Mr Puzey said the schools in the area were the main contribution.
The official campaign will launch on August 22 and will run for a month.
People are urged to keep an eye for the Give a Damn, Give a Can poster and tub to be able to donate items.
Twenty-five schools from Kingston to Dalyellup, primary and secondary, public and private all get on board the campaign.
Mr Puzey said at the end of the campaign the club awarded a school with a "champion" certificate for collecting the most cans and there was also an award for the most cans collected per student.
He said the urgency and demand for food had ramped up since the pandemic begun in 2020.
"The Salvation Army clients have increased in numbers dramatically," Mr Puzey said.
The campaign does more than help people who are struggling to afford food, Mr Puzey said it taught students to think about others and give back.
"It is important values to learn," he said.
