A long-standing tradition in the Dickinson Independent School District has been teaching important lessons to students while at the same time providing needed food and other essentials to families within the Dickinson ISD boundaries through the M.I. Lewis Food Pantry.

The district's annual Stuff the Bus Food Drive will be held Monday, October 28 through Thursday, November 7. Students, staff, parents and the community are encouraged to drop off non-perishable food items and hygiene products to the schools during this time. On Friday, November 8, DISD administrators and students from Dickinson High School will load several buses and head out to the schools to collect donations and deliver them to the food pantry.

The 2012 food drive brought in 26,000 food items which was equal to 16,000 pounds of food. Through the generosity of students, staff and parents, the district hopes to surpass that total in 2013. Three years ago, DISD expanded the food drive to begin accepting monetary donations as well. Since then, more than $20,000 has been donated. Through their partnership with the Galveston County Food Bank, the center can purchase one dollar worth of United States Department of Agriculture subsidized food for only 10 cents. With this buying power, the $20,000 over the past three years has allowed the center to actually purchase approximately $200,000 worth of food.

 M.I. Lewis Executive Director Betty Lessert says all the donations received stay in the area helping families living within the Dickinson ISD boundaries. "The students are helping each other because it is the families of classmates in need who will receive the donations," said Lessert.