Help feed Champaign County families through the SNAP-Ed holiday food drive
The Holiday Food Drive runs through Nov. 26, accepting non-perishable items at the Champaign office. Each donation supports pantries and households across the county. Even small contributions can make a big difference this season.
CHAMPAIGN - There’s something about the sound of a can dropping into a donation box - a small, metallic note that carries a quiet kind of hope. Each clang, each thud of a box of pasta or bag of rice, echoes louder this time of year when neighbors start thinking less about what’s on their own tables and more about how to fill someone else’s. That’s the spirit behind the University of Illinois Extension SNAP-Ed Holiday Food Drive, which is now underway to help stock pantry shelves across Champaign County before the holidays arrive.
Photo: Jacob McGowin/Unsplash
From Monday, November 10, through Wednesday, November 26, community members are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to the Extension office at 801 North Country Fair Drive in Champaign. Donations can be dropped off Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. All contributions - from a single can of soup to a full grocery sack - will go directly to local pantries and families who could use an extra helping hand this season.
“We know that the holidays can be a challenging time for many families,” said Tracy Bowden, University of Illinois SNAP-Ed educator. “Every food item donated helps ensure that our neighbors have nutritious meals to enjoy during the season.”
The most helpful items are shelf-stable staples: canned vegetables and fruit, pasta, rice, cereal, peanut butter, and other non-perishables. A few simple items from one household can easily turn into a warm meal for another.
For many in the community, the food drive isn’t just about generosity - it’s about connection. It’s about slowing down long enough to remember that even a small gesture can ripple outward. As grocery costs rise and pantry shelves grow thin, every donation becomes a message that says, you’re not forgotten.
If you’re able, take a moment this week to drop something off. It may not seem like much, but to the family unpacking that bag later this month, it will mean everything.
For more information about the Holiday Food Drive, contact Tracy Bowden at tbowden@illinois.edu.
