Harvest for the Hungry Food Drive Kicks Off in Public Schools

According to Anne Arundel County Public Schools development office, there are over 28,000 people in Anne Arundel County who live in poverty right now. That is just one of the reasons why public schools go all out to help support the Anne Arundel County Food Bank in the fall campaign, “Harvest for the Hungry.” The campaign runs Oct. 15 to Nov. 2.

Especially during tough economic times, many families—not just the poor—rely on the food bank. By no means does the food bank cover the food needs of a family for the month. In general, the food bank supplements what a family can purchase. For the nearly 20,000 people in Anne Arundel County who are out of work, the food bank is a life line.

That is where the Harvest for the Hungry campaign comes in. Basically, school children, faculty and staff are asked to bring non-perishable food items or cash contributions to school where there are collection boxes. As the collection boxes fill, a food bank worker arrives on a truck to pick up the donations.

Inside each school, the collections are weighed for a friendly competition of which school is the most generous. For the past several years, South River High School has been the top Harvest for the Hungry collector in the state, with Davidsonville Elementary and Central Elementary often in the top running for elementary schools.

These schools have a very small percentage of free and reduced price lunch recipients. However, in Anne Arundel County, children make up nearly a third of the recipients of emergency food.

If you do not have a child in public schools, feel free to drop off food donations at any of the 13 public schools in South County. If you would rather contribute a dollar amount, please know that one dollar can purchase up to eight pounds of food. Checks can be made out to Harvest for the Hungry. These checks can also be dropped at the front office of any of the schools.

Elementary: Central, Davidsonville, Deale, Edgewater, Lothian, Mayo, Shady Side and Tracys

Middle: Central and Southern

High Schools: Southern and South River

Foods that are most needed include:

• Canned Meat, Ham & Chicken
• Peanut Butter
• Macaroni & Cheese
• Canned Stews
• Canned Tuna, Salmon & Sardines
• Nuts & Seeds
• Dried Canned Beans
• Oatmeal
• Multigrain Crackers
• Whole Grain Cereals
• Rice Cakes
• Whole Grain Pasta
• Evaporated Milk
• Powdered Milk
• Infant Formula
• Puddings & Custards
• Canned Fruits & Juices
• Canned Vegetables
• Canned Soup
• Sauces/Salad Dressing