Volunteers for the Winter Break Food Drive in Alachua County are hoping to collect donations to fill 500 boxes of food for needy families.
During the school year, thousands of children are provided meals through the Free/Reduced-Price Lunch school meal program.
When those children are home for Christmas break, Dec. 17 through Jan. 2, their families struggle to buy the extra food needed, said Kelley Kostamo, coordinator of the food drive.
"Many more kids need the food over the holidays than we can provide food for," she said. "We really can't help as many kids as we'd like to."
The Center for Leadership and Service is helping promote the food drive on campus. The center does not know the response the Student Body will have because this is the first year UF is participating, said Angela Garcia, the UF contact for the food drive.
"This drive is a great opportunity for students to get involved in the needs of their community and not just on campus," she said.
The food will be collected, assembled into balanced food boxes and distributed to most of the schools in the district.
"We need kid-friendly, nonperishable food," Kostamo said. "This year, we also want to provide food for holiday meals such as sweet potatoes and stuffing."
Macaroni and cheese, canned food, and peanut butter and jelly are commonly donated foods.
"We always have lots of macaroni and cheese, so the money donated will be used to buy the items missing from the boxes, such as fruit," Kostamo said.
The boxes will be assembled by volunteer school children, many of them Key Club members, and teachers.
Dec. 9 is the last day for donations, and the boxes will be distributed on the last day of school, which is Dec. 16
"I know sometimes, as college students, you're hungry too," Kostamo said, "but when you leave to go home for break, consider giving the extra food you have, and that you can live without, to the food drive."
Students can bring donations to the Center for Leadership and Service in 301 Peabody Hall.
