GVSD Food Drive To Benefit Local Families Over Winter Break

MALVERN, PA – The Great Valley School District Food Service Department is again hosting its annual food drive to help area families in need this holiday season.

Donations can be made to the annual drive now through Dec. 14.

Items can be dropped off at district office – located at 47 Church Road – or at any Great Valley school cafeteria. Cash donations in the form of a check are also accepted and can be mailed to GVSD Food Service Department, 47 Church Road, Malvern PA 19355. Checks can be made payable to Great Valley Food Service Department with "food drive" in memo line.

The Great Valley School District Food Service Department began the annual food drive in 2009 to provide relief for district families in need. The food drive give families breakfast and lunch items over the district's winter break.

"While school is in session throughout the year, students have access to breakfast and lunch every day," said Food Service Director Nicole Melia. "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

Families who would like to receive help can opt-in to receive food donations.

"Last year, through the generosity of those who donated food, we assisted 63 families," Melia said. "Those families included 132 children. But our ability to help relies on our community’s willingness to help."

Below are suggestions for items to donate:

• Individually boxed cereals
• Cereal bars
• Juice boxes
• Canned juice
• Boxed milk
• Individually packaged puddings and jello
• Healthy individual dry snacks
• Canned soups
• Tuna
• Whole fruit
• Cheese or peanut butter crackers
• Energy bars
• Trail mix
• Individual serving size nut packages
• Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruit, and vegetables
• Dried Foods
• Any individual or small packaged dry shelf-stable products.

Call (610) 889-2125, extension 5197, with questions.

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