Photo credit: Leah Arrington Photo
Mark your calendars for Saturday, August 23rd – Bags of Hope’s 5th Annual Back-to-School Food Drive is returning with an ambitious goal of collecting 28,000 pounds of food for local students in need.
Meeting a Critical Community Need
This community-driven event addresses a critical need as the school year begins. Every weekend throughout the academic year, Bags of Hope provides food bags to over 750 students across 34 local schools, ensuring no child goes hungry when classes aren’t in session. The Back-to-School Food Drive helps restock their warehouse with the supplies needed to sustain this vital program.

Photo credit: Leah Arrington Photo
How the Neighborhood Ambassador Program Works
The event operates through a neighborhood challenge system, where community members can sign up as Neighborhood Ambassadors. As an Ambassador, you’ll distribute donation bags in your neighborhood or workplace between August 14th-17th, then collect the filled bags and deliver them to the Bags of Hope warehouse on Saturday morning, August 23rd (9am-noon).
Local businesses, churches, gyms, and sports teams are also encouraged to participate alongside residential neighborhoods. If your neighborhood is already represented, you can still join – multiple Ambassadors can team up to divide the work and maximize impact.

Photo credit: Leah Arrington Photo
Building Community Through Service
This grassroots approach transforms food collection into a community-building experience, bringing neighbors together for a shared purpose. The beauty of the program lies in its simplicity: volunteers handle the logistics while community members contribute what they can.

Photo credit: Leah Arrington Photo
Ready to Get Involved?
Ready to make a difference? Sign up to become a Neighborhood Ambassador! Whether you’re representing your street, your workplace, or your organization, your participation directly impacts hundreds of local students who depend on weekend food support throughout the school year.
Together, we can ensure every child in our community has access to nutritious meals, even when school is out.
Get to know the team behind Bags of Hope, Ashley Nydish and Nicole Fiehler, in episode 170 of The Best of LKN podcast!

Photo credit: Leah Arrington Photo
A few photos from last year’s food drive event ⤵️ (credit: Leah Arrington Photo)

About the Host:
Jeff Hamm is the creator and producer of The Best of LKN. He’s a local entrepreneur with a passion for promoting small businesses and local nonprofits.
When he isn’t working, you can usually find Jeff boating, playing pickleball, or taking walks with his dogs Sam and Maisy.
Jeff Hamm
Elevate Land & Realty
Lake Norman | High Country
www.LKNreal.com