The primary and the intermediate grade levels at Dassa McKinney Elementary School are locked in a battle to see which grade levels can collect more canned foods and hygiene donations.

Despite the contested race to collect more donations, the drive is meant to stock the Moniteau Food Pantry and “Share the Love” around Valentine’s Day.

“We try to pick something in the community to help different things,” said Lindsey Doolin, a fifth-grade teacher at Dassa McKinney Elementary who is coordinating the food drive. “The food pantry needs to be replenished, and February would be a good time to do it. It's also a way to teach kids to help in their community.”

Dassa McKinney has hosted a food drive for the pantry for several years, except for 2021. Doolin said the school surpassed its collection goal of 2,020 items in 2020, and she hopes to collect 2,022 items this year.

Wendy Hazlett, coordinator of the food pantry, said the pantry sees its peak need around Thanksgiving and Christmas, when people are looking for traditional meals to eat for dinners.

The pantry operates throughout the entire year, so donations are always appreciated, according to Hazlett.

“You always go up in numbers for the holidays,” Hazlett said. “It's amazing what the elementary school does.”

Students at Dassa McKinney began bringing in food along with hygiene and toiletry items at the start of last week, and piling them up outside their classrooms to keep track of the competition.

The Moniteau Food Pantry exclusively serves people who live within the school district. Doolin said some students are aware that people in the school benefit from the pantry, and are always glad to help.

“They get very excited about it, and in the younger grades the kids love any type of competition,” Doolin said. “We have the tables in our hallways, so you can see how much food they brought in. It encourages them to do it; they get excited to help.”

The class that gets the most donations in the elementary level will get to face off against the intermediate class that gets the most donations in a game of “Hungry Hungry Humans” as a reward. The classes will also get a sneak preview of the high school play, Doolin said.

Hazlett said that although the pantry serves some people who may bring in donations for the drive, the collective charity provided by the school helps keep the pantry up and running.

“Every little bit helps,” Hazlett said.

Residents who live within the Moniteau School District can call the Moniteau Food Pantry at 724-894-2338 to receive food, or to see if they are eligible.