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This year’s Stuff the Bus campaign was an incredible example of what can happen when a community comes together to support its neighbors. Led by the Loveland City School District Transportation Department in partnership with Kroger and LIFE Food Pantry, the initiative helped ensure local children will have access to kid-friendly foods throughout the summer months.

The community’s generosity was on full display. During the two weeks leading up to the event, shoppers at the Loveland Kroger donated 1,080 pounds of food. On the day of the event, an additional 2,039 pounds were collected at the Loveland and Branch Hill Kroger locations in just 4 short hours.

Together, our community donated an astounding 3,119 pounds of food—more than 1.5 tons—to support local children.

A special thank you goes to Lisa Moorhead, whose coordination and leadership helped make the event a success from start to finish. We are also grateful to Heath “Taco” Daily for lending a hand with the heavy lifting and to bus drivers Tracy Simmons, Scott Livesay, and Elizabeth Blust for their dedication during the event.

LIFE would also like to recognize the many staff members who worked behind the scenes, collecting and sorting donations from Kroger stores in the weeks leading up to the event. Their efforts ensured that every donation was organized and ready to reach families in need.

Finally, thank you to the Loveland football team members whose muscle power, along with access to the district’s lift buses, made transporting thousands of pounds of food possible.

Because of the Transportation Department’s vision, the commitment of school staff and students, and the generosity of our community, this year’s Stuff the Bus campaign was an overwhelming success. Together, we are helping ensure local children have the food they need to thrive all summer long.

Do you know someone who loves giving back to the community? Invite them to join us for LIFE Food Pantry’s Volunteer Info Session on July 13 at 4 pm.

This informal session is a great opportunity to tour the pantry, meet current volunteers, learn about the many ways to get involved, and have questions answered. Whether they’re looking for a regular volunteer opportunity or simply want to learn more about our mission, they’ll discover how they can make a meaningful impact in the lives of local families.

We’d love to welcome new faces and share how together we can strengthen our community.

Left to right: Cee Cee Collins, president and CEO, Little Miami River Chamber Alliance; Carol Rountree, executive director; LIFE Food Pantry; Kurt Trombley, president, LIFE Food pantry board of directors.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who supported the Food Truck Rally last month! Thanks to the generosity of attendees who donated cash and tipped throughout the event, an amazing $1,700 was raised to help support LIFE Food Pantry’s mission.

These funds will help provide food, personal care items, and other essential resources to local families facing food insecurity. Thank you to everyone who gave, attended, and helped make this event such a success.

Even though it feels like summer just began, volunteers at LIFE are already preparing for our Back-to-School event where local students will receive the supplies they need for a successful school year. With your help, we can ensure every child starts the first day of school feeling confident, prepared, and ready to learn.

We are expecting almost 300 students to attend and could use some help! Donations can be dropped off at the pantry, purchased through our Amazon wish list, or you can make a monetary donation and let us shop! All donations are needed by July 14 to ensure we have time to prepare for the event.

Not sure what to give? Here’s how your donation can help:

• $15 provides personal care items for one student.
• $25 supplies a student with essential school supplies such as notebooks, folders, pencils, and crayons.
• $50 helps equip a student with school supplies and school spirit wear.

Every donation, no matter the size, helps local children begin the school year with the tools they need to succeed. Thank you for investing in the students and families of our community.

Even though the school year is coming to an end, the need for our Weekend Bags program continues throughout the summer months. For many children, school provides reliable access to meals and snacks, and summer break can create additional challenges for families already facing food insecurity.

Our Summer Weekend Bags program helps bridge that gap by providing children with easy-to-prepare meals and snacks to take home each week. With the support of our community, we can continue making sure local kids have access to nutritious food all summer long. Monetary donations and kid-friendly food donations are always appreciated as we work to meet this ongoing need.

Please consider donating today.