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NATCHEZ — Cathedral High School Honor Society students organized a food drive and packed a busload of canned goods and other food items to take to the Natchez Stewpot on Friday afternoon.

Barrett Burget, the head of the “Pack the Bus” committee, said students collected food items for the Natchez Stewpot over the course of a week and collectively gathered enough to fill every seat on Cathedral’s school bus.

“It’ll make riding to the Stewpot fun,” he said. “We’ll have to ride with some of the food in our laps.”

Burget said a little friendly competition helped gather more donations. Every grade level at Cathedral participates and the class that contributes the most wins a donut party.

It took them at least an hour to finish packing the bus.

Rev. Marcus Archer, director of the Natchez Stewpot, said for the past few weeks the Stewpot’s shelves were looking bare but this week Cathedral, Silas Simmons and individuals stepped up to fill them.

“Today has been absolutely amazing with donations coming in,” Archer said Friday.

Natchez Stewpot feeds free meals to roughly 300 people every day, including holidays, and delivers meals to shut-ins.