ALBANY — Take a good dose of help the less fortunate at the holidays, add a sprinkling of young optimism and what do you get?
Apparently three cans of soup.

A group of about six college students sat for eight hours in a tent in front of the East Albany Police District office trying to collect food for the less fortunate this holiday season. Talk about some disappointed students.

“We are trying to feed the less fortunate,” Kristy Watson, 19, a Darton College student said. “We’ve been here for hours and the boxes are empty.”

Despite the event being advertised on the city Web site, albany.ga.us, fyers in the community police stations and a local radio station interview Thursday, it wasn’t the turnout the students had hoped.

Albany residents have the chance to redeem themselves today and Saturday. Students, members of the Albany Police Georgia Recovery Corps, from Darton, Albany State University and other schools will be ready to accept canned goods from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. today at the West Police District office on Dawson Road.

Students will also accept food for the needy during the holidays from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of the Albany Civic Center.

These students plan careers in law enforcement and as attorneys. It just might be a good suggestion to start buttering them up now and contribute some canned goods.