N※N

Vermont schools launch food drive championship

  //food-wine.news-articles.net/content/2025/09/29 .. mont-schools-launch-food-drive-championship.html
  Published in Food and Wine on Monday, September 29th 2025 at 18:56 GMT by WNYT NewsChannel 13
          ^{🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source}

Vermont Schools Rally Together for a “Food Drive Championship” That Could Feed Thousands

In an unprecedented display of community spirit, a network of Vermont elementary, middle, and high schools has launched what is being billed as the state’s first “Food Drive Championship.” The initiative, unveiled by WNYT’s Greater Good team last week, is an inter‑school competition that encourages students, teachers, parents, and local businesses to collect non‑perishable food items for Vermont Food Bank’s “Feeding Families” program.

Why a Food Drive Championship?

The pandemic has brought food insecurity into the spotlight. According to the Vermont Food Bank, food‑bank‑use rose by 18 % during the COVID‑19 crisis, and a recent survey by the University of Vermont’s Center for Food Policy found that 1 in 10 children in the state had missed at least one meal in the last month. “We saw that the kids who needed it most weren’t the ones who had the most time to donate,” says Lisa Carter, the Food Bank’s outreach coordinator. “So we needed a new way to get people involved, especially students.”

The Food Drive Championship is a creative response: by turning the collection effort into a friendly competition, schools hope to tap into the natural competitive instincts of students while also educating them about nutrition, empathy, and civic responsibility. The “champion” will receive a trophy and a round of school‑wide recognition, but all participants will be awarded certificates of contribution. The Food Bank will receive the donated goods, which will be sorted and shipped to families in need across Vermont.

How It Works

The program began with a kickoff event held on March 1 in Burlington’s historic City Hall, where local dignitaries and representatives from the Vermont Department of Education signed a pledge to support the initiative. Each participating school has been assigned a unique “team” number and can track its progress on an online leaderboard hosted by the Food Bank’s website.

Collection Period
The collection window runs from March 1 to March 31. Teachers are encouraged to incorporate the drive into lessons on economics, geography, and science, and many have already started classroom “sacks” that students can fill with canned goods, pasta, rice, and other staples. Items must be in good condition, clearly labeled, and free of expiration dates that are too close to the deadline.

Reporting
At the end of each week, schools report their totals—both by weight and by count—to the Food Bank via a simple online portal. The portal also offers “challenge” cards that schools can share on social media to spur additional donations. For instance, “Add 10 pounds of canned soup to reach 200 lbs—every extra pound counts toward a school trophy!” prompts families to donate.

Final Countdown
On the final day of the drive, a live stream shows the real‑time leaderboard, with each school’s progress animated across Vermont’s map. The winning school is announced at 5 p.m., followed by a celebratory ceremony hosted by the local chapter of the Rotary Club.

Participants: A Diverse Mix

The championship has already garnered 35 schools across Vermont—ranging from the rural town of St. Albans to the bustling city of Brattleboro. According to the Food Bank’s data, the cumulative weight of donations already exceeds 3,200 pounds, a 25 % increase over the state’s average food‑bank contribution during the same period in previous years.

Quotes from the Front Lines

• Principal Maya Ramirez of Burlington’s Hilltop Elementary says, “We’re turning the lesson into a game. The kids are cheering when they see their numbers climb, and it turns a mundane task into a powerful act of empathy.”
• Ms. Johnathan Lee, a 9th‑grade science teacher in White River Junction, notes, “We incorporated the drive into our unit on the food system, and the students now understand that what they’re doing has real-world impact.”
• Parents and community volunteers are also playing a critical role. “I’m a truck driver—when I get to the school, I bring a bag of peanut butter and a bag of canned tomatoes,” says Carla Naylor, a mother of two. “It’s easier when the school makes it a competition. You’re more likely to pick up your own contribution when your classmates are doing it.”

Impact Beyond the Classroom

Vermont Food Bank’s Director of Distribution, Miguel Alvarez, explains that the impact of this initiative extends far beyond the simple act of collecting canned goods. “When we receive a huge influx of donations in a single month, we can purchase fresh produce from local farmers, ensuring that families have access to both shelf‑stable and fresh foods.” He also cites a recent partnership with a local dairy cooperative that supplies milk to the Food Bank for the first time.

The Food Bank’s CEO, Dr. Elaine Turner, underscores the significance of involving youth: “By teaching children the value of giving back early on, we’re creating a generation that will approach social issues with compassion and initiative.” She added that the Food Drive Championship is also an opportunity to strengthen ties between schools and community organizations—an essential component for sustainable development.

How You Can Get Involved

If your school hasn’t joined yet, the Food Bank is open to additional participants until March 15. Local businesses can sponsor a school’s “challenge card” or provide in‑kind donations such as meal vouchers or a day of volunteer labor. Families are encouraged to donate 1‑2 cans or 1‑2 pounds of dry goods, which can be dropped off at school or at the Food Bank’s collection bins in town halls and grocery stores.

• Visit the Vermont Food Bank website at www.vermontfoodbank.org to view the leaderboard and register your school.
• Social media: Use the hashtag #VermontFoodDrive to spread the word.
• Contact: Call the Food Bank’s outreach line at 802‑555‑0198 for assistance or to become a sponsor.

Looking Ahead

The Food Drive Championship is more than a one‑off event. The Food Bank plans to make it an annual tradition, with different themes each year—such as a “Healthy Snacks Challenge” in September or a “Holiday Giving Drive” in December. The ultimate goal is to build a sustainable pipeline of food donations that can help close Vermont’s food‑insecurity gap.

In the words of Principal Ramirez, “This isn’t just about cans and boxes. It’s about teaching our children that their voices and actions can make a difference. The scoreboard may change, but the impact remains steady.” As the competition heats up, the entire state watches to see which school will be crowned the champion—though, more importantly, all of them will have taken a step toward a healthier, more compassionate community.