For some students, the hardest part of the school week starts when the final bell rings Friday. At Peoria Elementary School, community partners help send approximately 100 food bags home each week. Even that isn’t always enough. Donations run short, and some children leave empty-handed.
With the holidays approaching, the school is rallying neighbors for its second annual Give and Take Food Drive, Nov. 9-13. Led by the student council, the effort culminates on World Kindness Day, Friday, Nov. 13, when families can donate essentials or pick up what they need.
The idea is simple: Give if you can. Take if you need.
“No child should have to leave school on a Friday worrying about whether they’ll have enough to eat over the weekend,” says Brenda LoPresto, principal of Peoria Elementary School. “It breaks our hearts when the food bags run out and we have to turn students away. That’s why every donation matters. We want every child to head home knowing there’s food waiting for them.”
The Friday food bags, provided by TLC from Vistancia, TLC2, Journey Church, and New Life Church, contain easy-to-prepare foods for weekends when school meals aren’t available. Every student is eligible. Staff aim to include a protein, canned produce, a carbohydrate, and something for breakfast when supplies allow.
Food is only part of what families need. Rising grocery bills, transportation costs, and housing challenges are stretching local families thin. Peoria Elementary helps with emergency groceries, school supplies, and a clothing closet stocked with shoes, undergarments, and everyday essentials. A Virginia G. Piper grant has supported the closet, while Costco, Via Sun, and New Life Church have helped provide backpacks for every student.
Here’s How Locals Can Pitch In
- Give and Take Food Drive: Bring nonperishable foods and personal care products Nov. 9-13 to Peoria Elementary’s front office at 11501 N. 79th Ave. in Peoria.
- World Kindness Day: On Friday, Nov. 13, tables outside the school will welcome families to drop off donations or take home what they need.
- Fill the Pantry: Peanut butter, jelly, canned foods, boxed cereal, laundry detergent, and toothpaste top the wish list. Fresh bread and produce are also ongoing family needs.
- Pack a Friday Food Bag: Individually packaged, shelf-stable proteins, canned produce, oatmeal packets, and breakfast staples are welcome year-round.
- Spread the Kindness: Remaining donations will support the Peoria High School Canned Food Drive, helping the generosity reach beyond campus.
Help is available to Peoria families in other ways, too. Through nonprofit partner Zuri’s Circle, families can receive emergency food assistance, often within 24 hours. The clothing closet also provides dress attire for eighth-grade promotion, while families facing housing instability can connect with the district’s homeless liaison for guidance and local referrals.
“Our schools can’t do it all, and that’s where our community comes in,” says Jeff Tobey, president of the Peoria Unified School District Governing Board. “It’s wonderful to see families, churches, businesses, and school staff pitching in to help our kids. When people come together like this, it reminds you just how much good a community can do.”
Insider Takeaways
- 100 Bags Every Friday: Community partners help send approximately 100 food bags home with Peoria Elementary students each week, but supplies sometimes run out before every child receives one.
- Kindness Goes Both Ways: The Nov. 9-13 Give and Take Food Drive invites families to donate what they can and pick up what they need, with a special gathering on World Kindness Day, Nov. 13.
- More Than a Meal: Peoria Elementary also helps families access emergency groceries, clothing, shoes, school supplies, and support during housing challenges.
- The Need Doesn’t Take a Holiday: Friday food bags are distributed year-round, and donations of shelf-stable foods and breakfast essentials are always welcome.
For more information about donating or accessing assistance, visit peoriaunified.org/peoriaelementary.
