Help the Dickinson Gators stuff buses with food to benefit the Food Pantry at the M.I. Lewis Social Service Center. The annual Dickinson ISD Stuff the Bus Food Drive, which is the largest food donation M.I. Lewis receives each year, will start Oct. 29 and run through Nov. 8. On Nov. 9, Dickinson High School students and district administrators will board buses to collect the donations from each campus and deliver them to the food pantry.
This long-standing tradition has been providing essential food items for the past 18 years to M.I. Lewis, which solely supports families living within the Dickinson ISD school boundaries. Several years ago, the district began accepting monetary donations as well and since then has donated approximately $45,000, which M.I. Lewis can use to purchase food items or pay utility bills for those in need.
The food drive was even held in a modified way last year despite the devastation the community was facing from Hurricane Harvey. Because M.I. Lewis was inundated with several feet of water and housed out of temporary offices, they did not have the ability to receive or distribute food items, so Dickinson ISD was only able to accept monetary donations. The nearly $4,000 collected was used by M.I. Lewis to keep helping those in need, which was greater than usual because of the storm.
M.I. Lewis has been providing assistance to families within the Dickinson ISD boundaries for more than 50 years. The center now serves more than 7,500 individuals each year, representing 22,000 family members.
"This is an incredible way for Dickinson ISD students to give back to the community. You never know who is going hungry and in need of food," said Betty Lessert, M.I. Lewis Executive Director. "Since our facility only serves people residing in the Dickinson ISD boundaries, the donations received could very well be going to your neighbor or someone else you know in need."
The donations received during the Stuff the Bus Food Drive supplement the center's regular food pantry donations for up to three to four months and provide a greater variety of food for the clients. Through their partnership with the Galveston County Food Bank, M.I. Lewis has the ability to use monetary donations to purchase food at a very low cost. One dollar worth of United States Department of Agriculture subsidized food can be purchased for only 10 cents. With this buying power, the $45,000 donated over the past several years, has allowed the center to purchase up to $450,000 worth of food. M.I. Lewis can also use the funds to purchase perishable items like fresh fruit and vegetables, which can't be donated during the food drive.
Donations for the Stuff the Bus Food Drive can be made at any Dickinson ISD campus or the Education Support Center, 2218 FM 517 East in Dickinson through Nov. 8
The teacher of the top collecting classroom throughout the district will earn a $250 grant from the Dickinson ISD Education Foundation to use for classroom needs. October 29 - November 8, 2018 - Stuff the Bus Food DriveDickinson ISD students, parents and employees are encouraged to participate by bringing some of the items listed above or monetary donations to school for the food drive.
The M.I. Lewis Social Service Center serves families throughout the Dickinson Independent School District boundaries with emergency assistance, food, clothes and referrals to agencies or programs offering job training, literacy or other assistance.• The M.I. Lewis Social Service Center sees more than 7,500 individuals each year, representing 22,000 family members.• For every $1 donated, the center can purchase $10 worth of food through the Galveston County Food Bank.• Anyone interested in volunteering is invited to help with the center’s Food Fair held on the third Saturday of each month at M.I. Lewis, 215 FM 517 East in Dickinson. Volunteers are invited to just show up around 7 a.m. to help with the distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables to more than 200 people. For more information about the Stuff the Bus Food Drive, contact the district’s Public Information Office at 281-229-6080 or any Dickinson ISD campus.Monetary Donation Monetary Donations will be accepted this year. Through a relationship with the Galveston County Food Bank, M.I. Lewis is able to purchase $10 worth of food for only $1. They can also use monetary donations to purchase perishable food items throughout the year. For accounting purposes, to see which classroom collects the most items, a $1 donation will count as two items.Non-Perishable Items Donation The following are special needs requested by M.I. Lewis this year.• Canned Tuna• Canned Chicken• Spaghetti O’s• Ravioli• Spam/Vienna Sausage• Cereal• Macaroni & Cheese• Instant Oatmeal• Canned Beans• Chef Boyardee cans• Hamburger Helper• Boxed Dinners• Family Sized Soup• Powdered Milk• Juice