Donate Food To Help Feed Needy GVSD Students During Winter Break

MALVERN, PA – When school is out for winter break, some less than fortunate students may struggle to get breakfast and lunch meals. Luckily, the Great Valley Food Service Department is hosting its annual food drive to help income-eligible families.

With the community's help, the department will be able to provide breakfast and lunch foods to eligible families during winter break.

You can help support the drive by dropping off donations to the Great Valley District Office at 47 Church Road in Malvern before Dec. 15. Donations can also be dropped off in any Great Valley school cafeterias before Dec. 15.

Monetary donations can also be dropped off at school cafeterias or the district office. Checks can be made out to the Great Valley School District.

See below for a list of needed items:

• Individual boxed cereal
• Cereal bars
• Boxed juices
• Individual canned juice
• Canned fruit
• Boxed milk
• Individual puddings and Jell-O
• Healthy individual snacks
• Individual microwavable soups
• Individual ready to eat tuna packages
• Whole fruit
• Crackers – cheese and peanut butter
• Peanut butter
• Energy bars
• Trail mix
• Individual packages of nuts
• Ready‐to‐eat canned meats, fruits, and vegetables
• Dried foods
• Freeze‐dried foods
• Pasta
• Pasta sauce
• Any individual (or small package) of dry, shelf‐stable food products

"While school is in session throughout the year, students have access to breakfast and lunch every day," GVSD Food Service Director Nicole Melia said. "However, when school is closed over winter break, it is very possible that these students will go without at least one – and possibly both – of these meals each day. We don't want that to happen."

So that students don’t go without breakfast or lunch while school is closed at the end of December, the food service department reaches out to families in advance of the holiday season, the district said. Families who would like to receive help can opt in to receive food donations, according to the district.

"Last year, through the generosity of those who donated food, we assisted almost 60 families," Melia said. "Those families included close to 100 children. But our ability to help relies on our community’s willingness to help."

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