APS Students Come Together to Drive Out Hunger

Non-perishable food can be dropped off on Nov. 18 at APS headquarters.

Students from every APS high school are organizing food drives in their individual communities to benefit more than 2,500 Albuquerque Public Schools students experiencing homelessness.

The high school student-led food drive includes students active in various extracurricular activities, including student senate, athletics, band, JROTC, Key Club, Show Choir, and Cheerleading. Each school is gathering donations from individuals, businesses, and community organizations.

Members of the public who want to contribute are encouraged to drop off donations between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, at the Alice and Bruce King Educational Complex, 6400 Uptown Blvd. NE. Please consult the list of the most needed non-perishable food items to maximize the impact of your donation.

Students will come together on Nov. 18 to pack their donations into a large moving truck that will transport the food to the APS McKinney-Vento Warehouse. The non-perishable food will later be distributed to families in need.

The McKinney-Vento Warehouse has been struggling to keep up with the growing demand for food. Distributions of food to families are going out faster than donations are coming in.

Last year, more than 3,700 APS students representing every school in the district accessed services provided by the McKinney-Vento program. Food drives like this are an essential part of providing support to students experiencing homelessness so they can concentrate and focus in class, develop healthy minds and bodies, and be free of the worry, embarrassment, isolation, and social stigma associated with poverty. 

The APS McKinney-Vento staff is grateful to everyone who contributes to this program throughout the year and is always looking for long-term partnerships to help fill the needs of our most vulnerable students.