During November, Oak Harbor students are aiming to fill two school buses.

Not with themselves, but with food.

During November, the middle and elementary schools in Oak Harbor are taking part in a Fill the Bus Food Drive, gathering donations that will go to North Whidbey Help House.

“It’s been going on about seven years,” said Oak Harbor Middle School teacher Larry Falcon.

“It started really small. It started over at North Whidbey Middle School and the elementary schools over there.

“(I said,) ‘We have to find something different, encourage and bring more items to help our community out,’ ” Falcon said.

Falcon said previous food drives held at the schools weren’t very popular and that he wanted to create a drive that would motivate students and staff to bring in food.

“It wasn’t as a driving force as what this is,” Falcon said. “Goal oriented is kind of the way we go with it.

“Packing two buses with food is a great goal for kids to take on.”

The food drive kicked off on Nov. 3. Students are accepting nonperishable food donations until Nov. 25.

On that date, two buses, currently parked outside of the middle schools, will be driven around the district to collect food items before they are delivered to the Help House.

“We do it just as community support for the upcoming holidays,” said North Whidbey Middle School teacher Phillip Southwick. “And we know that this is a big donation time for the Whidbey Help House.”

Students and staff are encouraged to bring in food to donate, and at Oak Harbor Middle School, Falcon said their mascot even greets the students as they arrive to help motivate them to bring in food.

At North Whidbey Middle School, teachers are holding a contest to see which educational department can collect the most donations from their students.

Award for the winners, Southwick said, is pride.

“My take is it’s helping the community and teaching kids that it’s not just a community that you live in … we’re all here to help each other and move everybody forward.”

Anyone from the community is welcome and invited to participate.

Falcon said anyone is welcome take food they want to donate to their local elementary or middle school and deliver it to the front office.

“Anyone can donate,” Southwick said.

“They can donate in the front office if they would like to; we’d love all participation from everyone in the community.”

“The reason why (we do this) is to teach kids about service,” Falcon said, “but also to teach them that there’s something bigger than they are.”