Emergency hunger relief is critical for kids at risk of hunger. That is why we are partnering with The Interfaith Food Shuttle for the 7th annual Food Drive to Benefit Backpack Buddies. This is our signature event of the year. This year on April 27, 2019 we will have volunteers standing outside of 10 grocery stores in Apex, Durham, Cary, and Raleigh.

This year our food drive goal is to donate 10,000 pounds of food and $10,000 to help feed kids who don’t have access to food on the weekends. We can’t do this without a lot of help. You can help, here’s how!

1. To volunteer for the food drive, click here to sign up for a 2 hour shift on 4/27. We love to have kids and their parents! People donate more when there is a kid asking.
2. You can also donate money online to support the food drive by clicking here.
3. Stop by and donate food at one of the food drive locations between 10am and 6pm on 4/27/19. This list of locations and needed items is below.

Food Items We Need Donated for the Food Drive:

• Milk boxes
• Cans of tuna or salmon
• Dinty Moore beef stew
• Canned fruit and veggies (peaches, peas, corn, etc)
• Easy Mac macaroni and cheese containers
• Raisins and other healthy snacks
• Juice boxes (100% juice)
• Instant oatmeal
• No Soft tops (like individual applesauce)
• Pop-top cans are preferred

Food Drive Locations where food will be collected on 4/27/19:

• Apex
  • Food Lion, 620 Laura Duncan Rd. Apex, NC  27502
• Durham
  • Food Lion, 4621 Hillsborough Rd. Durham, NC  27705
• Cary
  • Food Lion, 8745 Holly Springs Rd. Cary, NC  27539
  • Harris Teeter, 1151 Tryon Village Dr. Raleigh, NC  27518
• Raleigh 
  • Food Lion, 3415 Avent Ferry Road Raleigh, NC  27606
  • Food Lion, 2420 Wycliff Rd. Raleigh, NC  27606
  • Food Lion, 5633 Creedmoor Rd. Raleigh, NC  27612
  • Food Lion, 2861 Jones Franklin Rd. Raleigh, NC  27606
  • Harris Teeter, 500 Oberlin Rd. Raleigh, NC  27605
  • Harris Teeter, 5563 Western Blvd Raleigh, NC  27606

2019 Food Drive for Backpack Buddies

Pounds of Food Raised

Dollars Raised

Number of Volunteers

Read about our annual food drive and other ways we fight childhood hunger here.

In December 2018, The Food Drive Kids teamed up with Raleigh Swimming Association to help fight childhood hunger for kids in Pender and Onslow Counties. Donations were distributed to support Share The Table and their MUNCH program that helps make sure kids don’t go hungry when they aren’t at school. 800 additional participants have been added to the program since Hurricane Florence, and they need help!

Those living in these areas who were living paycheck to paycheck are now struggling. Many are without work (and vehicles), and those who are working have to balance home repairs (if they still have a home) along with feeding their families and other normal expenses. Loss of family income has increased the number of children applying for their backpack buddies program (weekend meals). That number to continue to rise as they approach winter break where the children will be without school food assistance for two weeks. 

The Food Drive Kids deliverd $325 pounds of food and $2,000 to help Share The Table feed the hungry kids of Pender and Onslow counties.

To keep up with other opportunities to fight childhood hunger check out out events.

The 2018 food drive to benefit Backpack Buddies was a huge success. We had over 180 volunteers come out and support the collection of food and donations at 10 grocery stores in Raleigh,

Durham, Cary, Garner, and Apex. We collected 8,600 pounds of food and $10,000!

This year’s food drive was dedicated to late Mrs. Rebecca (Becky) Knotts Thomas.   Mrs. Thomas was the mother of our beloved AB Combs Principal, Ms. Muriel Summers.   Mrs. Thomas was an active community leader and a long-standing member of the Business and Professional Women’s Federation.   Her life was eventful and accomplished; but none of those events or endeavors truly defined her…she is better remembered, and loved, by the ways in which she navigated life’s journey.  Her faith was at the center of her very being; and that deep and personal relationship to God was her compass, her true “north”.  She was a loyal friend who loved travel, a good time, a good meal, a good laugh and more than her fair share of mischief.   Causes important to her included serving underserved children, the lonely elderly, and the hungry.  It is with great honor that we dedicate this year’s food drive to Mrs. Thomas.