LIFE Food Pantry's Pass It On Food Drive turns 25 in 2026. The Loveland nonprofit is collecting donations to put Thanksgiving meals on neighbors' tables.

The drive started in the months after the attacks of 9/11, when students at Loveland Intermediate and Middle School wanted to channel their grief into action. They organized a food drive for LIFE Food Pantry, built around a simple idea: they couldn't change the whole world, but they could change their corner of it.

The pantry's motto for the drive stuck: "Are you feeling fortunate in your life? If so, Pass It On."

On that first collection day, students in grades 5–8 lined up along the sidewalk between the school campus and Prince of Peace Church, where the pantry was then located, according to LIFE Food Pantry's anniversary page. They passed donated food hand-to-hand until every item reached the pantry shelves.

The inaugural drive won a Cincinnati Enquirer Make a Difference Day award and a $150 prize, which went straight to LIFE.

Twenty-five years later, the effort has expanded well beyond the school hallways. Loveland schools, local businesses, congregations and neighborhood organizations all participate, the pantry said.

LIFE Food Pantry, formally the Loveland InterFaith Effort, has served the community since 1988. Executive Director Carol Rountree reported that the organization's recent Empty Bowls fundraiser raised more than $21,000. The pantry provides food to local families, stocks snack shelves in area schools for children facing food insecurity and offers emergency financial assistance.

The 2026 Pass It On donation tiers are tied to the 25th anniversary:

  • $25 — celebrates 25 years
  • $50 — provides turkeys for two families
  • $75 — sponsors a food box
  • $100 — provides turkeys for four families

Residents can donate through LIFE Food Pantry’s Pass It On donation page or call 513-583-8222 for information about contributing food. The anniversary announcement does not list collection dates.

LIFE Food Pantry is located at 677 Loveland Madeira Rd. Hours are 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday through Saturday and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.