A student from Coral Community Charter School helps to stock shelves at the Storehouse.

A student from Coral Community Charter School helps to stock shelves at the Storehouse.

A food drive is a great way to get students involved in community service, and to help children become better citizens by helping those in need. The Storehouse also welcomes school groups as volunteers at the pantry and is happy to help provide schools with ideas and support to get started.

If your school would like to start a food drive, the Storehouse can deliver and pick up collection bins to your site. Just call (505) 842-6491 to get started. When collecting food, make a point to ask for healthy food items that may be too expensive for some families to purchase. Foods that offer high nutritional value include canned tuna, nut butters, cereal, and healthy snacks. You can also integrate this into classroom helping children learn about hunger and how nutritious foods help them to grow strong and do well in school, sports, and other activities.

If your school would like to volunteer at the Storehouse, we can provide a variety of activities that will engage your classroom. Because we need to ensure we have space and activities planned, please call or email us in advance to set up a time to come with your student group. Some students help Storehouse customers one-on-one as they help them navigate the food aisles. Other opportunities include sorting and stocking food on the shelves. For a lot of volunteer students, the interactions with Storehouse staff, other volunteers, and clients alike help students learn socialization skills as well as helping them see how their participation in giving to the community is vital in helping those in need.

To get started, send an email to www.theStorehouseABQ.org.

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