Students across Boone County Schools will collect fruit cups and applesauce cups for classmates who face hunger during a five-day drive running Sept. 21 through Sept. 25.
The annual drive pairs the Boone County Education Association (BCEA), the district's teachers' union, with Florence-based nonprofit GO Pantry. GO Pantry described the partnership as a continuation of an annual effort, indicating the drive has run in previous school years.
Individual schools may run their own contests and challenges during collection week. Families with children in Boone County Schools should check with their school for details on how to participate.
The collected items target a specific need. GO Pantry provides food to children on days school is not in session, serving kids who rely on the Free and Reduced Lunch Program and lose their primary food source on weekends and breaks. Fruit cups and applesauce are shelf-stable and easy to distribute.
GO Pantry co-founder and executive director Beth McIntire has spoken publicly about the stakes behind that work. "Behind every game, every auction item, and every conversation is a child who does not need to wonder where their next meal will come from," McIntire said in a July 2026 NKY Tribune interview about a separate GO Pantry fundraiser.
The nonprofit started in 2012 when a small group of friends collected food in a basement to help seven kids at one local school. GO Pantry, headquartered at 7453 Empire Drive, Suite 300, in Florence, now provides weekly food support to more than 1,300 children in over 100 schools across 11 districts in six Northern Kentucky counties.
Requests for help have jumped 30%, according to GO Pantry's website. No baseline year was given for that figure.
Families who want more information can reach GO Pantry at (859) 538-5304 or [email protected].
Upcoming
- BCEA Food Drive: Monday, Sept. 21, through Friday, Sept. 25, at Boone County schools. Check with your child's school for contest details.
