Bloomington Public Schools will host its 15th District-wide Food Drive the week of March 17-21. Each of the district’s school sites and business partners, along with district departments will participate in this year’s event, which will coincide with VEAP (Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People) and the annual Minnesota FoodShare Campaign, the largest grassroots food and fund drive in the state. 

The public is invited to donate non-perishable food and other items at any district location. Visit veap.org/most-needed-items for helpful suggestions.

All food and cash donations are donated to VEAP, a Bloomington non-profit agency serving families in need in Bloomington, Edina, Richfield, and South Minneapolis. The organization's food pantry at 9600 Aldrich Ave. serves more than 10,000 people each month, making it the largest single-site food shelf in Minnesota.

Each dollar donated accounts for three meals, and each meal is approximately 1.2 pounds. Last year, the district collected 38,200 pounds when the cash donations to pounds conversion was applied, which resulted in 32,000 meals.

The Bloomington Parent & Family Advisory Council is coordinating the annual food drive, and has set a goal of 50,000 pounds. The annual food drive has collected 690,000 pounds since its inception in 2009. The food drive was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. 

For more information, contact the district’s Community Relations Office at 952-681-6403.