School is almost in session, and the Palm Beach County Food Bank (PBCFB) is returning with its “One Can, Two Can, Who Can? You Can!” Back-to-School Food Drive and calling for protein-rich donations.
As Palm Beach County operates the 10th largest school district in the nation, the food bank and more than 20 local partners will gather nonperishable foods to help students experiencing hunger. The most wanted items include canned beans, fish, chicken, beef, peanut butter, vegetables and fruit.
“Currently, one in six Palm Beach County children go to bed hungry,” PBCFB CEO Jamie Kendall said. “That’s unacceptable and setting them up for failure going into the school year. However, the community can help! Because of this year’s overwhelming need, we’re hoping to double our donations to this food drive, compared to last year. Donors will be giving school kids the brain food they need to help promote concentration, immunity and more for classroom performance. It gives them and their families hope for a strong start to the school year.”
Last year, in partnership with the Palm Beach County Library System and community partners, PBCFB’s back-to-school food drive collected 2,582 pounds of food providing more than 2,777 meals. This year’s goal is to double last year’s collected food.
Participating public locations in the local area include: The Palm Beach County Food Bank, 701 Boutwell Road, Suite A-1 and A-2, Lake Worth Beach; the Acreage branch library, 15801 Orange Blvd., Loxahatchee; Bake & Serve Inc., 9100 Belvedere Road, Suite 113, Royal Palm Beach; Club Pilates Wellington, 10660 W. Forest Hill Blvd, Suite 140, Wellington; the Greenacres branch library, 3750 Jog Road, Greenacres; the Lantana branch library, 4020 Lantana Road; the Palm Beach County Main Library, 3650 Summit Blvd., West Palm Beach; the Okeechobee Blvd. branch library, 5689 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; the Wellington branch library, 1951 Royal Fern Drive, Wellington; and the Royal Palm Beach branch library, 500 Civic Center Way, Royal Palm Beach.
With approximately 192,000 food-insecure residents throughout Palm Beach County, the Palm Beach County Food Bank procures food from grocery stores, farmers, food distributors, wholesalers and other sources and distributes it to more than 200 local community partners, including food pantries, soup kitchens and schools. In 2024, the food bank distributed nearly 13 million meals to more than 193,000 residents experiencing hunger.
The food drive will continue through Sunday, Aug. 31. For more information, or to find the nearest participating drop-off location, visit www.pbcfoodbank.org.
