PRoject: Harmonious Giving

Total donations: 136 items

Food insecurity does not discriminate… And you never know who is facing it.

Support your local food pantry and take part in the ongoing effort to relieve food insecurity amongst your own community.

Follow links to materials that will help you coordinate the next Harmonious Giving Food Drive at your concert, recital, or exhibit!

Food insecurity is the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.
(Definitions are from the Life Sciences Research Office, S.A. Andersen, ed., "Core Indicators of Nutritional State for Difficult to Sample Populations," The Journal of Nutrition 120:1557S-1600S, 1990.)
U.S. average Food insecurity 2020–2022: 11.2%
Top 6 states with food insecurity that is higher than the national average.
AR: 16.6
TX: 15.5
MS: 15.3
LA: 15.2
SC: 14.5
OK: 14.3
Source: USDA
“Interactive Charts and Highlights.” USDA ERS - Interactive Charts and Highlights, www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/interactive-charts-and-highlights/. Accessed 18 May 2024.
Health Effects:
Malnutrition: Food insecurity can lead to malnutrition, resulting in deficiencies of essential nutrients which are critical for physical and mental development.
Mental Health Issues: The stress and anxiety associated with food insecurity can increase the risk of mental health issues, including depression and anxiety.
Weakened Immune System: Inadequate nutrition can weaken the immune system, making individuals more susceptible to infections and illnesses.
Academic Effects:
Impaired Cognitive Development: Chronic food insecurity can impair cognitive development in children, affecting their learning abilities and academic performance.
Lower Academic Achievement: Students facing food insecurity often have lower grades, more absences, and are less likely to graduate.
Social Effects:
Social Stigma: Food insecurity can lead to feelings of shame and embarrassment, causing individuals to withdraw from social interactions.
Family Stress: The strain of not having enough food can lead to increased tension and conflict within families.
Participate in our Project: Harmonious Giving at your concert, recital, or exhibit.
Use our free customizable templates to advertise your event.
Collect the food items and donate to your local/school food pantry!
Take pictures and share your efforts on social media and tag us to help spread the word! @Snowfinearts #HarmoniousGiving

You can host this event at any time of the year, however, we have made it a tradition to host the H.G.F.D during the Winter concert, recital, or art exhibit season. Because of that, our templates are already designed for Winter themed events, but you can edit the templates to your liking.

Food items are to be non-perishable items only.

Read below to start planning!

Coordinate

Research the local food pantries in your area. Your own school might have a food pantry on campus. Get in touch with the people in charge of the chosen pantry early. I suggest that you research and ask for permission to donate at the beginning of the year, so that you will have ample time to plan.

Email/ Call them with this information:
- Your name and your program.
- Your intent to host a non-perishable food drive at your next event and the permission to give the donations to their pantry.
- Time and date of your event. Any additional information.
Once you receive permission from a food pantry, move on to the next step!

Explain the importance to your group.

Some of your students may not realize the prevalence of food insecurity. Please talk with your students about what food insecurity is and the importance of giving back to the community. Even just one can of food can make a difference. If they understand the importance of the food drive, they are more likely to contribute to the cause.

Advertise!

Advertising the non-perishable food drive is the most important step that you will have to do! It does require work, but don’t be afraid to ask for help. Some of your students will be happy to assist you!
Advertise early. Advertise consistently. Advertise a LOT.
Unless YOU decide otherwise, emphasize that food items are non-perishable food items only! (canned goods, rice, oatmeal, cereal, e.t.c)
Vocalize your food drive at the beginning of the year and let your school know of your plans. Start printing and advertising material at least a month or two in advance of your event, or when winter activities start to roll in.
You can click the pictures at the bottom of this page. It is linked to the customizable templates that you can print.
- YOUR CLASS. Consistently remind your class about the food drive and tell them to spread the word. Make it apart of your announcements and send letters home! The guardians/parents of your students will be the first ones to donate, so they need to know about it.
  - Emphasize that food items are non-perishable food items only! (canned goods, rice, oatmeal, cereal, e.t.c)
  - If a student tells you that their family would like to donate, but can’t deliver the items at the concert, allow them to drop it off before hand in class.
Send out information through…. Your class REMIND, newsletter, and website. If you are able to, send out mass emails to parents and students.
8x11 Flyers! Print off flyers to hang around your school!
School’s Electronic Signs: If your school has an electronic billboard at the front of the school, advertise it there!
School District Website/Facebook Page. If your school district has a Facebook page, including individual Facebook pages if you have multiple schools, post an advertisement there.
Small individual invitations. A week before the concert, you can place invitations in teacher mail boxes (don’t forget about your feeder schools!), hand deliver to your custodians and lunch workers. Have students hand deliver them to their teachers. If you want to make it extra special, buy a spool of slim ribbon (1 dollar or less) and small candy canes. (a box of 100 costs about 7 dollars at Walmart.) Punch a hole into the invitation and tie the candy cane to the invitation!
Advertise consistently and on a large scale. The closer it gets to the event, turn your monthly advertisements/reminds into weekly and then into daily advertisements/reminds.
Announce/include how you will accept the donations. Will someone be at the entrance to accept donations? Or will you leave a box at each entrance for people to drop off items.

Make a Collection Box

Just a regular cardboard box or plastic bin will do, but if you want to make it more festive, follow the next steps!
- Find a box. You can buy large boxes from the store or you can try asking your custodian for a large box!
- Reinforce and tape the bottom of the box because it will get heavy! Tuck the top flaps in for now.
- Decorate the sides of the box with wrapping paper! (1 dollar or less)

Food Drive Day

Set up your drop off locations.
Thank the audience for their donations! Thank them live and have a thank you note already printed on the acknowledgment section of your program.
Take pictures! Either of just the result of your donations or a picture with the group who helped you organize the food drive. Post your picture and the total number of items you collected to social media and tag @snowfinearts so that we can include your pictures here and your contribution to Project: Harmonious Giving!

Afterwards

Donate your items to the food pantry.
Thank your students for their contribution in helping someone have something to eat.
Share this post with fellow fine art teachers, so that they too can use the resources on this website to host the next Project: Harmonious Giving!

INSTRUCTIONS: I use Canva to design my resources. To use a resource, you will…