Food Cupboard

[Airehead]

I need to send out a letter asking people to donate items to our food pantry at each school. Help me make a list, please. 
 

So many requests from families needing food. 

[dinneR ★]

1 minute ago, Airehead said:

I need to send out a letter asking people to donate items to our food pantry at each school. Help me make a list, please. 
 

So many requests from families needing food. 

I donate money. Ours does better purchasing in bulk. People tend to donate crap that is expired or unwanted. Our main location acts like a grocery store. People order on the app and pick it up. We have two satellite locations that are drop in. They stock dry goods like pasta and canned goods. There is a refrigerator stocked with milk, eggs, and produce. 

[Airehead]

Money is always good because then we do buy in bulk, however we only assist families who have children in our program so the need isn’t as great as a whole community. Most frequently we send items home quietly in the students book bag. 

[Airehead]

We often send things home on Friday so we know kids have food on non school days. 

[Wilbur ★]

43 minutes ago, dinneR said:

I donate money. Ours does better purchasing in bulk. People tend to donate crap that is expired or unwanted. Our main location acts like a grocery store. People order on the app and pick it up. We have two satellite locations that are drop in. They stock dry goods like pasta and canned goods. There is a refrigerator stocked with milk, eggs, and produce. 

Great system.  Wow!

[dinneR ★]

21 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

Great system.  Wow!

It is well funded. The irony is the food cupboard is across the street from a new development of ultra-luxury condos.

 

28 minutes ago, Airehead said:

Money is always good because then we do buy in bulk, however we only assist families who have children in our program so the need isn’t as great as a whole community. Most frequently we send items home quietly in the students book bag. 

That happens here as well. Teachers stuff backpacks or a grocery bag full of food is given to the child on Friday. Our free snack program starts next week, so this week it is on the teachers. I dropped off snacks yesterday for two classes. 

We've done food drives and get mostly canned goods. It does bring in a lot of food. Some of it is garbage and gets tossed. We accept pet food as well.

[Kirby]

For the purposes you described, @Airehead, I'd think of things like:

peanut butter (unless this is an allergy issue and forbidden)

bread

protein bars/granola bars (I'd add pop tarts too unless you care about nutrition)

canned fruit/vegetables

applesauce

pasta/tomato sauce

I'm trying to think of things that wouldn't require elaborate cooking.

[Kirby]

On a different note, would there be a church or some other organization that would also do a drive for your school so that you're not asking just the parents?  My condo association has a food drive this weekend for our town food pantry.  You might not typically think of housing associations as a place for a charity drive, but we do it at least twice a year and it's supposed to be pretty successful.  I know some companies that do them as well.  They just arrange to leave a box in the cafeteria or entrance to drop off food and someone in the company's management posts a sign or sends around an email.  These are especially popular at holiday time.

[MoseySusan]

30 minutes ago, Kirby said:

I'm trying to think of things that wouldn't require elaborate cooking.

This. Canned chili, stew, soup, chicken, Spam. Pouches of par-cooked rice, lentils, beans.

[jsharr ★]

Non perishable items in bags, boxes plastic jars or metal cans.
Rice, beans, peanut butter, vegetables, jam, jelly, canned meat, macaroni and cheese,

Here is the list of current most needed items at the North Texas Food Bank

 

• Peanut Butter, 16 oz not mixed with other items like jelly, honey, chocolate
• Canned Fruit, 14-16 oz
• Shelf-stable Milk, 8 oz not flavored with chocolate, vanilla, strawberry
• Canned Tuna, 5 oz
• Canned Chicken, 5 oz
• Low-sodium Canned Vegetables, 15-16 oz
• Trail Mix, 1-2 oz bags

 

 

Here is what we ask for when collecting items for Scouting for Food.

canned vegetables canned soups & juices canned meats canned chili boxed helper meals pastas canned vegetables canned soups & juices canned meats canned chili boxed helper meals pastas

[jsharr ★]

Here is the flyer we use, we just add the information for our troop.  I wonder if you could find a few Scout Troops or Packs in your area to help with a food drive?  Drop off bags, or go door to door on a Saturday AM?  We pass out fliers and grocery bags the week before the pick up date and then go back the next week and pick up any bags that are left on front porches.   We also use social media to publicize the event.

https://az601583.vo.msecnd.net/app-content/posts/10616/2019/12/11/circleten_06_31_28_7451.pdf

[jsharr ★]

Here is a resource page that might help if you are planning a food drive.

https://circleten.org/posts/1300/scouting-for-food-a-scout-is-helpful

[Airehead]

@Kirby, indeed. We will partner with a couple community groups as well as our parents.  Students will sort and count items. Always fun.