I CAN’T DECIDE WHAT I LIKE MORE about this food drive birthday party. Helping families in need or cutting down the clutter in our own house. (Selfish, true. Now back to the story!) For my kindergartener’s birthday party we’re asking friends not to bring presents. But to load up on groceries instead!
It took a couple of talks with my soon-to-be six-year-old but now she’s thrilled to host her first food drive birthday party. Our family will give her birthday presents but this party approach has another benefit. It gives her the day to spend with friends, focusing on fun instead of stuff.
And hopefully it takes a little stress out of other parents’ lives. Groceries are so much more straightforward than trying to find the latest feminist robot building unicorn set for a family you don’t know very well but hope to avoid offending with your gift-giving choices. Or maybe that’s just my experience as a newcomer to birthday parties in the US. Probably.
Anyway, all the loot will be donated to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, where we’re hoping to help serve some of the 190,000 kids in our area who don’t have enough food. It’s part of their Hunger Heroes program, encouraging kids to host food drives.
WHAT FOOD BANKS NEED MOST: We’ve written about what food banks need before. And here’s what our food bank in Durham can use best (plus what they ask us to avoid):
- Canned Fruits, Vegetables, Meat, and Soup (Pop-top cans and low sodium a plus!)
- Whole Grain Pasta, Brown Rice, Dried Beans, and Cereal
- Peanut Butter
- For Infants: Formula, Infant Cereal, Diapers, and Wipes
- For Kids: Fruit Cups, Juice Boxes, Granola Bars, Crackers, Popcorn and Sugar-Free Pudding Cups
- Non-Food Essentials: Hygiene Items, Household Items, and Paper Products
*Please – No loose glass or plastic jars of baby food as they will have to be discarded due to health regulations
REGISTERING THE DRIVE: This organization asks you to register the food drive on their site. It took about 2 minutes to fill out the online form.
COLLECTING THE FOOD: The Food Bank has plain white boxes that we’ll adorn with our with our poster “Phoebe’s Food Drive Pool Party”. After the party we’ll deliver the food! (We’ll also use that poster for our thank you notes, plus a shot of all the food that’s donated and weighed at the Bank.)
More details about the party, activities, favors and the food we’re serving soon!
Rob J says
What a wonderful idea. I am speechless.
Thanks so much, Rob! We were lucky to be inspired by another family who recently did the same thing for their 3-year-old’s party. It was so great and such fun at the same time. More details to come!
I forgot to say Happy Birthday!
Ha! Thanks, Rob!