Project Full


Full plates. Full Hearts.

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Lake Forest School Districts 67 and 115 and Lake Bluff School District 65 have introduced PROJECT F_LL, a tri-district food collection and distribution initiative addressing the growing issue of food insecurity in Lake County.

According to the Northern Illinois Food Bank, a member of Feeding America, hunger in the region is on the rise. In Lake County, about 6.9 percent of residents were considered food insecure in 2018. Due in part to the pandemic, that number climbed to nearly 12 percent at the end of 2020. In response, Districts 65, 67, and 115 students, staff, and families are partnering to establish ongoing collection and distribution of food for Lake County residents.

Celebrating a Season of Gratitude

Great Full Market - English
Great Full Market Poster - Spanish

 

In an effort to offer thanks by giving, School Districts 65, 67, and 115 are joining together with Beacon Place community center to host a pop-up farmers market for families in the Waukegan community on Sunday, November 14, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Earlier this year, Lake Bluff School District 65, Lake Forest Elementary School District 67, and Lake Forest Community High School District 115, launched Project Full, a joint effort to address nutrition and rising levels of food insecurity in Lake County. The Great Full Market is the group's first event of the 2021-2022 school year.

“We are co-hosting the Great Full Market as our way of saying, ‘we see you and we care about you,’ to our neighbors in Lake County who may be hungry,” said Dr. Matthew Montgomery, Superintendent of the Lake Forest Schools.

“Healthy food is fuel for student learning,” added Lake Bluff District 65 Superintendent Dr. Lisa Leali. “Providing ingredients for nutritious meals is one way for our Districts to support neighboring students and their families. Good nutrition helps students show up at school prepared to learn.”

The free event, running from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Beacon Place (603 S. McAlister Ave. in Waukegan) will provide fun for the whole family. Members of the Waukegan community are invited to pick up fresh produce and other ingredients for Thanksgiving, sample healthy holiday recipes, and enjoy hot chocolate and music. Activities for children include soccer, led by Lake Forest High School students, as well as games of Lotería and prizes.

Donations to PROJECT FULL, our tri-district food insecurity initiative, may be made here.

Beacon Place is sponsoring the event alongside the school districts of Project Full. Beacon Place is a neighborhood community center for children and families in Waukegan that focuses on academic growth, improved health, and building the skills that allow individuals and families to see their own path to a brighter tomorrow.

Great Full Market Tote
District 67 HUGS Food Drive

District 67 once again participated in the annual APT/Mothers Trust Foundation Help Us Give Suppers Thanksgiving Food Drive. Donation bins were placed outside of each school building Monday, November 1 through Friday, November 5 each day to collect items from the suggested grade-level lists.

For the convenience of our District 67 families, this year the APT also created an Amazon wish list. Items were delivered to one of the APT representatives for sorting, and delivered along with the donations dropped off at each school, to the food pantries in Lake County.

HUGS Food Collection
Food Drive Sorting
Full Food Drive Logo

F_LL Vision

Project F_LL is the result of a collaboration among District students, staff, families, parent/guardian groups (APT, PTO), and school administration in Lake Bluff, Knollwood, and Lake Forest. The idea of the Tri-District Community Food Drive was sparked by Deer Path Middle School (DPM) sixth-grader Paul Helms."I wanted to get involved because I saw some shocking statistics,” says Paul. “One in four students in Lake County are experiencing food insecurity. I knew I couldn’t just let that number be, not when I had the chance to do something. So I offered to help." Then Paul enlisted one of his friends, fellow DPM sixth grader Brady Stadolnik, to design the Tri-District Community Food Drive’s heart-shaped logo. “We wanted to make a logo that shows two things: Food and Unity,” says Brady. “ That’s why it is a heart made of food.”

“Two students had a vision to bring hunger awareness in our school community,” says Deer Path Middle School fifth grade language arts and social studies teacher and food drive sponsor, Marissa Catanese. “It is exciting to see the idea grow to encompass three area school districts.”