Did you know that school food drives are the largest donors to America’s local food pantries?

If you didn’t know, you’re not alone – as this amazing work by schools all over the country has gone largely unrecognized. Our research tells us that more than 50,000 schools already organize a hunger-relief effort of one type or another each year.  It’s a huge number.

And we’re going to make it even bigger.  And better.

The most common school effort is a traditional food drive, where school kids and school families collect canned goods and dry goods and deliver those to their local pantry.  But we also see schools asking for a canned good as admission to a school event and schools organizing volunteers for weekly sorting duty at the pantry and a host of other creative contributions.

Our goals are to:  encourage more schools to jump on board, help those schools and existing schools do even better work, help guide school efforts in ways most beneficial to pantries and the hungry, and (of course) to collect more food for local food pantries.  

We call it “Good Giving”, and the whole concept has come from discussions we’ve had with pantry experts right in the trenches. While giving is good, Good Giving is even better.  A food drive is good, but a food drive held in March (when the shelves are emptying after the holiday rush) is even better.  All food donations are good, but food donations centered on those products most beneficial (and scarce) at pantries is even better.  A two-week food drive is good, but a two-week food drive which also aims to create advocates for year-round hunger work is even better.

That’s our mission.  We’d love your support.

If you’re a pantry leader or pantry volunteer, we hope you’ll connect all your local schools with Schools Serve and – most importantly – make sure that the schools already helping your pantry get connected with Schools Serve.  We even have a flyer for you to share with your local schools here.  We’d also love your help in getting the first-ever national database of local food pantries populated.  

We’re aiming to make the annual school food drive as common as Open House Night and report card day on the school calendar. When we do -- your pantry, the hungry in your community and the schools and school kids who make it happen will all be the winners.

Thanks in advance for your help.