SLO Food Bank
Coalition of San Luis Obispo County
For Kids
Have you ever noticed how kids respond when they learn that someone is in trouble? Youngsters make the leap very quickly from understanding people need help to wanting to do something about it. Parents often discover that when they support a child to help others, it's a lesson that sticks.
At the Food Bank Coalition, we've found that some kids even come up with their own ways to help the hungry. One North County youngster held a scavenger hunt for his birthday party one year. He and his party guests collected 100 cans of food for the Food Bank with their wagons. What fun!
A student at Los Ranchos Elementary School in San Luis Obispo, along with support from his family, created The Bottle and Can Plan. By simply gathering bottles and cans from fellow students every Friday for a month, he raised over $770 for the Food Bank. All from items headed for the blue bin!
Eight year old Trevor from San Luis Obispo asked his friends to bring food for the Food Bank Coalition to a party instead of birthday presents and collected a tabletop full of food for people in need. Trevor and his mom delivered the tuna, peanut butter, soup and pasta to the Food Bank's Oceano warehouse where Manager Jim Lewis gave them a tour and told them how the Food Bank serves 35,000 hungry people right here in SLO County.
Efforts like Trevor's mean so much to the Food Bank and its clients! To meet someone with that kind of awareness about other people and generous spirit at such a young age is a rare honor. Thanks, Trevor!
Children often get involved with the Food Bank through scout troops or other organizations. Traditional opportunities include staffing our food drive barrels during our two annual food drives in spring and during the holidays. Shoppers respond so well to kids-our barrels fill quickly when children hand out our wish lists.
Organizations are also welcome to come to the Food Bank's two warehouses to take a tour and/or sort food when arrangements are set up ahead of time. Call us in Paso Robles at 805-238-4664 or in Oceano at 805-481-4652 to make plans.