If you're interested in collecting food for those in need at a school near you, here's how:
Step 1: Find a local food bank in your area that will accept unopened food
The food should be snacks that are:
-non-perishable
-unopened
-kids don't get enough healthy snacks, so healthy snacks are always great!
-ex: granola bars, fruit bars, chips, etc.
Step 2: Contact the principal and a teacher at your local school that can help you
When you contact the principal, make sure to:
-Ask where you are able to place the bin(s). Try to place the bins close to or in the cafeteria.
-Either use the school's printer and/or a printing shop to print out flyers, brochures, or anything else that will inform the entire school of the food collection.
-Ask about contests per grade or class to motivate the kids to donate food.
-Ask if you can speak at an assembly or make a video that will be shown to everyone at the school.
Step 3: Find someone or a group of people to transport the food from the school to the food bank
Make a sign up genius with dates, contact info. for the people at the food bank, and important info.
Go to your local high school and find a club to sign up to help
-NHS
-Key Club
Go to your local church and see if they are willing to help out
Step 4: Secure the necessary materials
Go to your local grocery store (i.e. Target, King Soopers, etc.) to buy the supplies or get the supplies donated.
-1 Storage bin per grade
-Markers
-Posters
Step 5: Advertise the Food Collection
Make posters with a local group (A Girl Scout troop, an after school program, etc.) to let the community know about the project.
-Using markers, poster boards, and empty snack bags, decorate posters
Print out flyers and brochures to give to the parents of the students at the school that you are doing the project at.
Create a video reminding the kids of the project. Then, email it to the principal who will send it to all of the teachers at the school.
-If it is played in every class in the school, all of the students will hear about the food collection.
Example of a brochure:
Example of a letter to the school's parents:
Step 6: Place the bins in the school and wait for the students to donate their snacks!
Put the bins in or near the cafeteria so that the kids know where to donate the food and that they remember that they can donate their food if they aren't going to eat it.
Label each bin according to grade level (ex: the 5th grade bin would have a sign that is labeled "5th Grade").
Step 7: Contact the group that will pick up the snacks
Make sure that NHS, the church group, or someone else knows that they are picking up the snacks
-Pick up the snacks about 2-3 times the first week
-Pick up the snacks twice a month every week after the first week
Step 8: Transport the food from your school to your local food bank!
