Gonzaga Prep students collected and then delivered more than 137,902 pounds of food to local families, food pantries, and other charities in our annual Thanksgiving food drive. This year’s total exceeded the 2022 school record by a whopping 10,000 pounds.
Collectively, the food will go to more than 2,000 people in the Spokane community. “We know that a food drive won’t strip many of these people from the burdens of poverty or pull them out of tough times,” said the school’s Director of the Office of Service and Justice, Liz Slamkowski, “but it does offer hope, relief, and a momentary reminder that they have not been forgotten.”
Prep’s totals were enough to earn the school third place in the Great Ignatian Challenge, a nationwide “friendly competition” between 22 predominantly Jesuit, Catholic schools. The $40,000 prize will be added to the school’s Fair Share tuition assistance program which makes a Gonzaga Prep education possible for 6 in 10 students. Last year, Gonzaga Prep won the challenge, collecting over 127,000 pounds of food – 157.5 pounds per student.
Gonzaga Prep's Food Drive stands as one of the largest and most enduring initiatives in the Inland Northwest, with a legacy spanning more than 60 years. The commitment of Gonzaga Prep students to collect food for those in the community facing hardship remains a key experience grounded in the school’s mission to inspire leaders who create a more just and loving world. According to the USDA, 1 in 8 households with children in the U.S. encounter challenges in putting food on the table.
2023 Gonzaga Prep Food Drive By the Numbers
Collectively, the food will go to more than 2,000 people in the Spokane community. “We know that a food drive won’t strip many of these people from the burdens of poverty or pull them out of tough times,” said the school’s Director of the Office of Service and Justice, Liz Slamkowski, “but it does offer hope, relief, and a momentary reminder that they have not been forgotten.”
Prep’s totals were enough to earn the school third place in the Great Ignatian Challenge, a nationwide “friendly competition” between 22 predominantly Jesuit, Catholic schools. The $40,000 prize will be added to the school’s Fair Share tuition assistance program which makes a Gonzaga Prep education possible for 6 in 10 students. Last year, Gonzaga Prep won the challenge, collecting over 127,000 pounds of food – 157.5 pounds per student.
Gonzaga Prep's Food Drive stands as one of the largest and most enduring initiatives in the Inland Northwest, with a legacy spanning more than 60 years. The commitment of Gonzaga Prep students to collect food for those in the community facing hardship remains a key experience grounded in the school’s mission to inspire leaders who create a more just and loving world. According to the USDA, 1 in 8 households with children in the U.S. encounter challenges in putting food on the table.
2023 Gonzaga Prep Food Drive By the Numbers
137,902 total pounds of food collected and delivered
430. Families served
450. The number of individuals, in addition to families, who received food
6. Food banks supported by our Food Drive
100,000. Average pounds of food collected each year since the early 2000s.
60+. Years Gonzaga Prep Food Drive has been in existence.
777. Gonzaga Prep students collecting food this year.
430. Families served
450. The number of individuals, in addition to families, who received food
6. Food banks supported by our Food Drive
100,000. Average pounds of food collected each year since the early 2000s.
60+. Years Gonzaga Prep Food Drive has been in existence.
777. Gonzaga Prep students collecting food this year.