At South Hills Interfaith Movement (SHIM), we hear from a lot of parents looking to involve their children in giving back to the community. Especially for elementary aged children, finding opportunities to teach them about families in need in a respectful and digestible way can be challenging.
We like to illustrate to kids that peers who may be facing food insecurity or financial instability are just like them, but their families need a little extra help. One way we educate kids is by encouraging them to host food drives. When they think about the foods they enjoy and consider having to go without a favorite snack, they gain an understanding of what food insecurity feels like. Hosting a food drive rallies their neighbors to join them in helping, and this communal effort helps lessen the stigma that can be associated with food insecurity.
The great thing about hosting a food drive is that it’s easy! Kids of all ages can make posters and pass out fliers to encourage participation in the drive. A popular way to host a drive is to put a big box on your porch with a list of most needed items taped to it. Then, distribute fliers to your neighbors letting them know when the box will be on your porch to collect items. As neighbors drop off items, kids get excited to see what was donated each day.
In the end, kids are amazed to see how much food they collect for families in need. When families bring donations to our food pantry, we weigh the food to see how much was collected. Often, kids collect several hundred pounds of food!
Food drives are vital in keeping our pantry shelves stocked for local families facing hunger. Hosting a drive is a great way to involve kids in helping their neighbors! Get started at www.shimcares.org/host-a-drive.
