It may mean a couple of parties for the teens at Chesapeake High School.

But that pales when they consider what their work for this year’s food drive will mean for others who wonder how they can feed their families.

This year’s Thanksgiving canned food drive at the school has reaped 5,000 cans that will go to the Chesapeake Community Center’s food bank. So far this year, the center has helped almost 10,000 in the county and food bank organizers expect that figure to go up significantly.

That’s why the work of the high school’s reading clubs to collect food has special meaning this year as the area faces layoffs, a shaky stock market and foreclosures.

The food drive is an annual event for the school with the club that brings in the most getting a pizza party and the second largest amount a donut party. The drive began Nov. 21 and ended this past Friday.

The top prize this year went to the class of Kristen Miller and second place to the class of Steven Ater. Miller’s group brought in 1,754 cans.

Among those working was junior Cody Miller who with a buddy spent two to three hours a day after school knocking on doors.

“We went door-to-door just about every day after school. We took donations from grocery stores,” Miller said. “It is to help the needy, just to give them when they don’t have.”

Besides non-perishable food items, the club members could also make cash donations which went to purchase food.

Food Fair of South Point allowed the students to buy 1,000 cans at the store’s cost.