Carmel High School students deliver groceries to Big Sur families

A group of Carmel High students, teachers and administrations trekked across the woods to deliver groceries to 11 families stranded on the south side of Pfeiffer Canyon this week.

According to Health Teacher Leigh Cambra, student Chantal Gonzalez went around to her neighbors in Post Ranch to see what they needed. With a grocery list for 11 families in hand, a group went grocery shopping, bagged the goods, and trekked hiked in the woods to deliver the bounty. Joining Cambra and Spanish Teacher Bridget Randazzo were students Caroline Mierzwa, Diego Cabrera, Diego Salinas, Katya Fredericksen, Hailey Rowe, Coral Barrett, Alex Myers, Julia Kurz, Nick Haws, and staff members Diana Vita, Patrica Hunt, Shannon Rains, and Tammy Waldman.

 "It ended up bring the perfect amount of people for the amount of food we had," Cambra wrote.

"Now, we kept hearing about a trail. Caroline warned that it was steep and slippery after the rains. I guess, in my mind, I kept thinking 'it’s just a trail connecting two sides of Big Sur.' Well, I was wrong. There is a path that’s maybe a quarter of a mile and then you get to this new trail. The trail itself is a half mile that zig zags up the side of a hill, elevating 500 feet. We were carrying gallons of milk, beans, rice, eggs, diapers, juice, and more. We ended up meeting the families at the post office and they were very happy to have the fresh food.

"The walk back is mostly downhill and pretty fun. But what you start reflecting along the way back is that we have students having to walk that everyday to get to a bus (and then that long bus ride). I don’t know if I would want to come to school very often if that’s what I had to do."

Cambra and her Big Sur team are planning another delivery soon. Stay tuned.

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