District 308 Holding Third Annual Food Drive

OSWEGO, IL — Each month the Kendall County Food Pantry services more than 7,000 people, and once again Community Unit School District 308 will help keep pantry shelves well-stocked.

From Sept. 19 to Sept. 27, District 308 schools will have the opportunity to participate in the district’s third annual food drive for the Kendall County Food Pantry. The food drive will serve as a contest between the elementary schools, junior highs, and high schools leading up to the Crosstown Challenge football game on Sept. 30.

The winners of the food drive will be determined by the total number of items collected at each school, and the winning schools will be announced at halftime of the Varsity game. Fans attending the game will receive a raffle ticket for each can of food they bring for a chance to win prizes announced throughout the game.

In 2014, the district made its inaugural donation to the Kendall County Food Pantry, donating 58,000 items, which at the time was the largest single donation ever made to the pantry. That record was crushed in 2015 when the district collected and donated over 85,000 items. Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Sparlin said he hopes this will be another record-breaking year for the food drive.

“This will be our third year of students and the staff working together to give back to the community and combat hunger in our area,” Sparlin said. “This is a wonderful way to align our efforts, while teaching our students about hunger and the importance of giving back to the community. If we all do a little, it adds up to a lot.”

Each level will focus on a different need. Schools will be focusing on the following areas.

Elementary schools will focus on collecting:

• baby supplies (formula, diapers, wipes, food, etc.)
• dry food (pasta, dry beans, boxed meals, etc.)
• condiments (ketchup, mustard, relish, etc.)

Junior high schools will focus on collecting:

• cleaning supplies (dish soap, laundry detergent, etc.)
• breakfast (cereal, pancake mix, etc.)
• baking items (flour, sugar, etc.)

High schools will concentrate on collecting:

• paper goods (napkins, paper towels, toilet paper, tissue, etc.)
• toiletries
• canned food (soup, fruit, vegetables, etc.)

Any item will be accepted at each location. In addition, this year pet food will also be accepted. The community can also show their school support while giving to a good cause. During that week boxes will be placed at local businesses, giving residents the opportunity to place food a box to support Oswego High School, or Oswego East High School.

The food drive occurs at a critical time before the holiday season, when donations are not at their peak. It also aligns the efforts of individual schools to maximize the community’s impact in fighting hunger locally.

Submitted by Oswego School District 308

photo courtesy of the Kendall County Food Pantry