Activity: Students participate in a canned food collection project and contribute to their local food bank. They discuss the project, why it’s important, who it serves, and how they feel/felt about doing it. If possible, do a field trip to the local food bank so students can help out and see first-hand how the food bank serves the community

Materials needed: a resource person from their local food bank who provides information, a collection container (if they have one), and a visit to the classroom from the resource person; organize a field trip to the food bank so students can help; samples of food that students can bring to school, such as canned vegetables, fruit, and meat, produce that doesn’t need cooking; 

Directions: Explain the activity: “We will begin a service learning project this week. It involves collecting canned foods for our local food bank. There are people in our community who can’t afford to go grocery shopping every week. They rely on food bank donations. I will send a letter home with you that explains our project. Please ask your family members to help out. There will be a collection container here at school where you will put your contributions. I will show you some samples of the kinds of food to bring.” Help them understand that some of these people are homeless, they don’t have a place to cook their food, and they rely on canned food and fresh produce that doesn’t need any preparation. Explain that they need healthy food with lots of nutrients. Ask students for suggestions about what kinds of food they should bring. Show them the samples. Tell them that a representative from the food bank will come and explain more about the service they provide, including what kinds of food items are best. If possible, take the class to the food bank and let them help out, assisted by those in charge. Discuss what students learned from participating.  Ask questions: 

• What did you learn from doing this service? 
• Why do you think some of our citizens are in a situation where they don’t have enough money to buy food? 
• If they helped out at a food bank, ask them how they felt about that.
• How did you feel about helping people who need food? 
• Do you think countries around the world, including the place where we live, can grow enough food to feed everyone? If so, why do you think that some people don’t have enough to eat?  

Wrap it up: Conclude with: “ The next time you start to feel hungry and your stomach rumbles, ask yourself how it would be if there wasn’t any food available for you, if your refrigerator and cupboards were empty, if no one offered you something to eat. How would you feel? Poor and homeless people experience this, and that is why non-profit food banks, the volunteers who staff them, and people who donate food are so important in every community. Thank you for helping out with this project! I hope you feel good about your contributions!”