Knox Pages reports that high schools throughout Knox County are participating in the 45th annual Food For The Hungry drive. Organizers set the 2026 fundraising target at $345,000, along with a goal of collecting as much shelf-stable food as possible. Students are being encouraged to take part in their own school’s campaign.
The drive lists five priority pantry items: canned fruit and vegetables; soup, preferably in pop-top cans or packages; canned pasta meals such as ravioli; baked beans; and canned meat. Cash gifts are encouraged because, according to Knox Pages, each dollar provides $4.56 in purchasing power through the Mid-Ohio Collective. Checks can be made payable to Food For The Hungry.
Collection periods vary by campus. Danville’s runs Nov. 2-6; Centerburg and Fredericktown plan Nov. 9-13; East Knox is scheduled for Nov. 30-Dec. 4; the Knox County Career Center will collect Dec. 1-9; and Mount Vernon’s effort began Oct. 29 and continues into mid-November.
Knox Pages says each school uses its own approach. East Knox students raised several hundred dollars last year through a coin-collection contest, while the career center has held competitions among its labs. Top donors from each school are to be recognized during the Dec. 11 broadcast at the Knox County Memorial Building. The event is also to be carried on WNZR.tv and several radio stations, with county collection points open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day.