Ritenour’s 2025 Food Drive Exceeds 9,700 items for Ritenour Co-Care Food Pantry

Thanks to the selfless generosity of students, families and staff, the Ritenour School District’s 2025 food drive resulted in the delivery of  9,757 items to the Ritenour Co-Care Food Pantry on Nov. 24. This year’s food drive exceeded the 2024 collection.

The Overland Public Works Department employees picked up a total of nearly 5 tons of food from Ritenour schools and delivered everything to the Ritenour Co-Care Food Pantry, located at the Ritenour Husky Support Center, 9303 Midland Blvd. The unique food pantry, which offers a grocery store shopping experience, provides free fresh, frozen foods and shelf-stable items to more than Ritenour School District households that experience food insecurity.

Angela Gabel, executive director of the Ritenour Co-Care Food Pantry, said Ritenour's food drive exceeded her expectations. The number of households in the Ritenour School District that have needed assistance from RCC during the past three months has soared, in part due to the federal shutdown, but also because of increasing food costs, she said. So far in November, the food pantry has served 1,389 households.

"The last few months have been especially challenging for many families and individuals in our community when it comes to food insecurity," said Gabel. "Receiving close to 5 tons of food from Ritenour’s food drive will help our clients tremendously over the next several months as we head into winter and the holiday season."

Ritenour Superintendent Dr. Chris Kilbride said he is humbled by the way Ritenour families, staff and students support each other, especially in times of need.

“It’s an honor to serve a district where families and staff step up to help each other, especially when it comes to addressing food insecurity,” said Kilbride. “The success of our food drive is a testament to the hundreds of families and staff members who remain committed to supporting one another and ensuring that no one is left behind in challenging times.”  

Congratulations to the contributions from the following Ritenour Schools:

• School for Early Childhood Education (main campus): 591 items
• Janine Milam-Haynes Early Childhood Annex: 352 items
• Buder Elementary: 1,262 items -- a record collection in recent memory
• Iveland Elementary: 1,075 items

• Kratz Elementary: 600 items

• Marion Elementary: 1,212 items
• Marvin Elementary: 1,453 items
• Wyland Elementary: 127 items
• Hoech Middle School: 566 items
• Ritenour Middle School: 1,690 items

• Ritenour High School: 829 items plus $756 

The district’s annual food drive for Ritenour Co-Care started in 1982 when Ritenour Middle School teacher Ken Crowder started the collection as a class project. That year, the district collected 2,000 cans of food. Although Crowder has since retired from the district, he continues to be fully vested in the project as a board member of Ritenour Co-Care Food Pantry and president of the Overland Neighborhood Preservation Commission. 

In addition to collecting food, Ritenour students raised $2,000 in October for Ritenour Co-Care through their participation in a math fundraiser through Imagine Math. Through a districtwide staff spiritwear fundraiser, staff raised another $450 for the food pantry.