Pantry Packs

Pantry Packs powered by the Lake Washington Schools Foundation provides weekend food packs for food-insecure LWSD students each week.

When kids don’t get enough to eat, they can’t concentrate and they can’t learn. Teachers tell of students excited to be at school on Mondays because they can eat there through federal programs. But these same children in the Lake Washington School District (LWSD) often go hungry on weekends or during school breaks.

With community donations of time, funds and kid-friendly food, volunteers come together each month to “pack the packs.” Volunteer drivers then deliver the packs to more than 43 participating schools, and each week school coordinators distribute the packs to hungry children in preschool through high school. Throughout the school year, Pantry Packs demonstrates how volunteers, schools and the community work together to help children in our area. For more information, email [email protected].

Thank you for helping us feed kids across the Lake Washington School District!

Pantry Packs operates during the months of September to June.

Submit the Volunteer Notification Form to be notified of future volunteer opportunities!

You Can Help

Know a child who could benefit from additional weekend food?

Talk to your school’s designated Pantry Packs coordinator, or review the Pantry Packs FAQs.

Food Donations

Pantry Packs is in need of a lot of kid-friendly meal and snack items. You can donate directly via our Amazon Wish List. You can also organize a food drive for just one food or many from our kid-friendly food items list (please note that none of these items are perishable foods because we cannot safely store or distribute those). We have a planning checklist with more information, and our Food Drive coordinator is available to help you organize your food drive. For more information, email [email protected]. Enhance your promotional posts with the fun food donation video spot below, produced pro bono by Alisa Prinos Videography!

Please do not mail any food directly to the warehouse. Donate directly via our Amazon Wish List or email [email protected] to coordinate a time to drop off any food donations.

Pack The Packs

Join other volunteers in assembling Pantry Packs, or at a prepping event to unpack the food. Bring a friend. Bring your middle and high schoolers for community service hours. Bring a PTA/PTSA. Bring a scout troop. Bring a school honors club. Student volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by a participating adult, and all volunteers must sign up online to participate. Submit the Volunteer Notification Form to be notified of future volunteer opportunities as they arise.

Email [email protected] with any questions.

Donate Funds for Bulk Food Purchases

We welcome the donation of funds to purchase the food we need at the best possible price.

Each $6.50 per month buys a single pack of food for a LWSD student.
$26 per month sponsors a single student’s monthly supply of packs.

You may donate online or mail a check written to “LWSF-Pantry Packs” to:

Lake Washington Schools Foundation
PO Box 83
Redmond, WA 98073

Remember that your donations may be matched by your employer. And consider making a recurring donation … because hunger is recurring!

Donate Online

Donate Funds Directly Via Amazon Wish List

Simply order the food items you wish to donate and your order will be shipped directly to Lake Washington Schools Foundation and designated for Pantry Pack’s use! Some items even have an optional “subscribe and save” option to set a recurring donation. Remember to include your name and email address in the “note” so that we can properly record your donation and issue you a receipt.

Wish List