Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! Once you sign-up through our Volunteer Interest Form, you will start receiving weekly emails that include our “public packing” event sign-ups. These sign-ups are first come, first serve and take place on a weekly/bi-weekly basis.

Yes! To reserve time with a group to pack weekend food bags at our warehouse, we require that you help contribute to the cost of food items by making a monetary donation of $650 or by organizing a food drive leading up to the event, with a goal of collecting food items equivalent to $750 (the cost to sponsor one student for the entire school year). Packing events can be scheduled during the week and are typically held on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Contact us to schedule a “private packing” event – Info@BagsofHopeLKN.com.

Volunteers as young as 5 or 6 years old can help with assistance from an adult. We welcome students of all ages however, most of our packing events take place during the school day. We offer middle school and high school packing events throughout the school year, in the afternoon and early evening hours to better accommodate those interested in volunteering.

There are no packing opportunities on the weekend. Since we pack bags mid-week, the shelves are full over the weekend, with bags lined up and ready for deliveries starting on Monday. Most packing events and other volunteer opportunities take place most often/usually on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Yes! There are several ways for students to get involved at Bags of Hope throughout the school year.

• Packing events – We offer middle school and high school packing events throughout the school year, in the afternoon and early evening hours (these events only last 1 hour).

• Food drives – Students can sign up to be a Neighborhood Ambassador for our Back-to-School food drive in August or organize a group donating extended break bags to our Thanksgiving, Winter Break and/or Spring Break drive (these opportunities would accumulate more hours for community service).

Please donate from the following list of items used regularly in our weekend food bags. Larger, bulk options like big cereal boxes or large bags of chips don’t fit in the bags we send home.  You can shop for this list of items on our Amazon Wish List – ship or drop-off at our warehouse, Bags of Hope, 10308 Bailey Rd., Suite 413, Cornelius, NC 28031.

• Canned pasta (ravioli, Spaghettios, etc)
• Ramen noodles (individual packs or cups)
• Hormel Compleat meals
• Mac & Cheese (boxes or cups)
• Peanut butter (small jars work best)
• Oatmeal packs (boxes of individual packs)
• Canned vegetables (green beans, corn, carrots. . . think kid-friendly!)
• Applesauce or fruit cups, or canned fruit
• Individually packed snacks (granola bars, chips, cookies, crackers, etc.)
• We also accept $20 grocery store gift cards throughout the year; these are sent home with students over Thanksgiving, Winter Break and Spring Break (Food Lion is best for the families we serve)

We have a specific list of food items that are most helpful for us to receive, based on the food items we include in our bags on a weekly basis. See suggested list above. Click here for a flyer of the full list, that can be printed or shared with others. Items we cannot use in our bags:

• Glass jars
• Large boxes of food – cereal boxes, pasta, etc.
• Ingredient items used for making receipts – pasta sauce, creamed soups, mustard or mayonnaise, etc. We are providing meals and sides so younger students do not have to create a meal on their own.
• Non-kid friendly canned items – olives, artichokes, spinach, etc (would your child eat that?!)
• Open items – please do not donate boxes and containers that have already been opened up (box of granola bars, box of oatmeal packets, etc).
• Expired/out of date items
• Plastic grocery bags
• Backpacks (unless requested)

There is an orange donation bin outside of our front door at all times, for donations to be dropped off at your convenience. If you have more donations than will fit in the bin or you would like to drop off when someone is at the warehouse, please contact us to arrange a drop-off time, Info@BagsofHopeLKN.com.  We do not collect donations from mid-June to mid-August, when school is not in session. 

Bags of Hope works directly with local schools, through relationships with school contacts. If your child or a child you know would like to enroll in our program, please contact the school counselor at your child’s school and they will share next steps for starting to receive support from Bags of Hope. We do not work directly with the students or families in our program. See the full list of schools we’re serving here

Yes. Bags of Hope became a nonprofit in 2017 and is a 501c3. All donations are tax-deductible.