+ 🍎🥑🍌 a food drive + 🥐🍪 exclusive goodies for the event

Quick note: Mark your calendar for a food drive for KACS on Saturday, May 17, at Oso Sweet Bakery Cafe, including a special treat 🥐🍪 available to those who stop by and donate. Details below!

Did you know that almost 1 in 7¹ students at Chadds Ford Elementary are eligible for the government’s free lunch program? Higher than you expected? It was for me.

I contacted Devon Sundberg, UCF Food Services Supervisor (and Chadds Ford resident), to better understand what school lunch statistics in Chadds Ford tell us about food insecurity in our community. She confirmed that almost 14% of CFE students are economically disadvantaged and thus qualify for free or reduced lunches.

To put that in perspective, three students in a class of 21 kids at Chadds Ford Elementary aren’t always sure where they will get their next meal. Please take a moment to visualize it. 💔

Winding through the wooded roads of Chadds Ford, beautiful homes and estates on large lots abound. Some are so palatial that the only evidence of their existence from the public’s eye is a gate at the end of the driveway. We live in one of the wealthiest school districts in the state.² It’s easy to assume everyone can afford three nutritious meals daily (and plenty of snacks at their pleasure).

But don’t judge a book by its cover. The facts tell a different story. One in seven students at Chadds Ford Elementary doesn’t even count families without school-aged children who struggle to put food on the table.

Kennett Area Community Service (KACS) has several dots on its annual report indicating the people it served in Chadds Ford Township last year. Food insecurity among our closest neighbors is more prevalent than it may appear at first blush.

map of where KACS participants come from

Data from local food pantries, such as the one managed by KACS, confirm that food insecurity in our area is rising. We’ve all seen our grocery bills climb in recent years. It’s not hard to imagine those on fixed incomes and tight budgets being squeezed and forced to choose between rent and groceries.

While visits to the pantry increase, government funding is disappearing (often with little notice to plan accordingly). Chester County Food Bank (CCFB) recently lost a $250,000 federal government grant. CCFB provides 42% of the food that fills KACS’ shelves, so a loss of that magnitude from one of the largest suppliers is cause for serious concern. KACS desperately needs those of us who have the means to chip in.

Chadds Ford Live shared a more comprehensive look at KACS’ services, funding sources, and how they will be impacted by the loss of food from CCFB. “The number of people needing monthly food assistance from KACS rose in those municipalities from 2,556 in March of 2024 to 3,326 in March of 2025,” so losing a significant funding source is particularly troubling as demand increases.

KACS is facing a food crisis. If you believe the government should help feed the hungry, the recent federal funding cuts for local food banks like those at CCFB might encourage you to support this food drive.

If you don’t believe that feeding the hungry should be the government’s responsibility, the cuts in government funding prove a stark reminder of why private contributions are so significant, and you might feel inclined to donate to the food drive this weekend.

None of us wants to watch our neighbors go hungry. From children to the elderly, don’t we all want to ensure everyone has food on their table, no matter how the money flows?

Are there specific items KACS needs most?

KACS accepts cash and all non-expired food donations. They have some preferred items that fly off the shelves at the food pantry. The flyer below offers recommendations if you like shopping from a list. Having volunteered in the food pantry many times, I know flour, maseca, cooking oil, white rice, and dried black beans (more than canned) are hot items!

Can I donate financially?

Yes! Thank you for asking. 🫶🏼 You can donate on the KACS website using this link or scan the QR code on the flyer below. If you can’t attend or don’t feel like hitting up Wegmans or Giant and would prefer to make a cash donation (no judgment!), KACS and the participants will greatly appreciate it.

Cash donations are probably even better than food donations because KACS can purchase in bulk and receive greater discounts than individual shoppers. But all donations are welcome, so please do whatever works best for you!

Is this a political event?

Nope. Not at all. The Chadds Ford Democrats are sponsoring the food drive to support KACS on May 17 from 9 am – 1 pm at Oso Sweet Bakery Cafe. However, there’s no need to be affiliated with the party or support their candidates to drop off donations. 💛 No one will ask how you vote or request political contributions.

No matter your political affiliation (or lack thereof), hopefully, you can support this important event for our neighbors and friends who need our assistance. Thanks in advance for being a good neighbor if it’s in your budget!

Maybe the best part?

🍪🥐 Tess, owner of Oso Sweet, kindly allowed us to borrow her space to collect donations. Even better, she created a new special treat for the event! While dropping off your donations, pop inside to purchase an exclusive chocolate chip cookie croissant. Be the first to try it!

Will you share with your community?

We would love it if you could get the word out to your local friends and neighbors! You can share this article using that little Share button below. Would you forward this article or the flyer (above) to your neighborhood email list or HOA directory?

Share with your friends on social media! I created this Instagram post, which you can reshare in your Stories if you’re an Instagram fan. You can also share the flyer (right-click on it and save the image to your computer) and post it on Facebook if that’s more your jam!

Got any other questions?

Just reply to this email or respond in the comments, and I’ll do my best to answer. If I don’t have the answers, I can connect you with the rockstars that do!

A little bonus…

Also, you might remember Devon from this article about UCF’s award-winning food and nutrition services. Thanks again to her and her team for bringing nutritious, delicious food to our schools!

Per the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) from the Food & Nutrition group in the PA Department of Education, 12.5% (or 1 in 8) of students at Chadds Ford Elementary qualified for the free lunch program according to the 2025-2026 CEP Notification. That number was up from 1 in 10 just a few years ago and up to almost 1 in 7 now, as noted above. Not a great trend. ↩︎
Unionville-Chadds Ford School District had the highest median household income as of 2018. I didn’t have updated data, but it’s safe to assume we’re still in the ballpark, which is all that matters for this conversation. ↩︎