Each year, families and faculty at Ursuline Academy hold a food drive to benefit six local organizations — including NEEDS! Pantry coordinators Janie and Maureen shared this letter of appreciation:

“Thank you once again for your generous donation to the NEEDS food pantry. We are so blessed to be a part of your program each year. Your donation is one of the largest we receive. This year you provided two full pallets of food, home, and personal care items. Wow! Our shelves are now restocked! We also appreciate the way you sorted the product and delivered it to us. That really helps us in the effort to put it away.

It’s impressive to have your students help lead this effort. It warms our heart to see young people involved in community service. Many thanks to Rowan Haas and Lara Licu for contacting us to coordinate the delivery. And a special thanks to Megan Knapke for leading this program. We understand that you all collected 15,000 pounds of product. That’s amazing!

As we explained to the students, our pantry visits increased another 40% in 2023, serving over 2000 families. It’s challenging to keep our shelves stocked. We look forward to your donation each spring in preparation for the summer when our donations typically decline. Your donation will go a long way in helping needy families in our area. Please share our thanks with the students, families, and faculty who made this food drive successful. The volunteers who keep our pantry running and the families we serve thank you all.”

Learn more about you can help meet the needs of our neighbors here.