A Food Bank Field Trip

By Lynn King

Here’s an idea that can be incorporated any time an instructor thinks it will fit a current theme, a unit of study, or a Civics requirement: food drives, food banks, and food pantries. Inspiration for this idea came about when one of our community college student organizations sponsored a Fall Food Drive. I thought our Adult Education English Language Learners could benefit by learning about food banks and then by donating food to our local food bank during a field trip to the Central Illinois Food Bank, so I called to set a date and time for a tour.

Food, in particular, is always an interesting subject and, in this case, talking about food banks and food pantries was a way to broach the topics of “hunger” and “feeding the hungry” as local issues. In fact, it came as a surprise to some students that there are people in our own community who cannot afford to feed themselves and their families all the time and therefore need help to do so. In addition, the topic of volunteerism was also an important part of our discussions.

In class, we read local news items and researched the kinds of food that would be appropriate or inappropriate to donate. We learned about the churches, clubs, civic organizations, and after-school programs that have food pantries in the area, how they are run by volunteers, and stocked by donations. Students brought in food to donate, which we bagged and prepared for delivery during our planned field trip: a guided tour of the Central Illinois Food Bank in Springfield, Illinois, which is the main warehouse and distribution center for local and regional food pantries.

Language practice focused on container vocabulary with non-count nouns: a box of cereal, a jar of peanut butter, a can of soup, etc. As students brought in their food donations, we all practiced repeating the correct container form and product. Of course, the items they brought in all correlated with the food bank’s donation list. Students also kept a list of new vocabulary that came from readings and discussion. Finally, we brainstormed a list of questions that we might ask our tour guide, practiced them, and had copies of the list made for each student. I suggested that each student should try to ask at least one question during our visit.

On the day of the field trip, students signed field trip waivers for the college, divided up into cars of volunteer student drivers, and took their question list, paper, and pen for jotting down words or phrases they thought they should remember. We arrived at the warehouse, were greeted by our guide, given brochures, and received more than an hour’s tour that included the history of the food bank and its affiliation with a national consortium, the names of local retail stores that participate with donations, and how the food is eventually distributed to food pantries. We toured all warehouse areas, including the freezer and the huge scale for weighing bulk items. The guide explained how volunteers sorted and shelved donations and how they use the “best by” date to determine if products were still safe to use. Students did ask some of the questions on our list, and added some of their own. Before we left, we were told that our donations weighed in at 250 pounds, so we were all very pleased.

Back in the classroom, we debriefed: students talked about what they learned, shared new vocabulary, and mentioned highlights of the visit. They were then asked to do two things: 1) Write a short personal account of the visit; and 2) Write a thank you letter to the food bank and tour guide. The first writing was checked for any necessary corrections before students made a final typed copy. All student paragraphs were then copied into a shared single form for all to read. The thank you letters included practice in using a formal letter format and in using a gerund form or regular noun after “for,” as in, “thank you for giving us a tour” or “thank you for the tour.” Copies of their writing and the thank you letters were sent to the food bank guide and employees. Photos of our visit were also posted on the bulletin board.

A final but unexpected outcome of our talk about food drives, food banks, and pantries was an absolute delight: an international perspective. I had asked students if there were food pantries or similar food distribution plans in their own countries. Most students said no—their countries didn’t have such things. They all thought having food pantries for emergencies and for people in need was a very good idea. We thought about what items would be necessities for a food bank in each of their countries. Here are their lists:

Indonesia: rice, milk, sugar, tomato sauce, water, noodles. Fresh fruits and vegetables are easily available or are grown in home gardens. Chicken is also inexpensive.

Cameroon, West Africa: rice, milk powder, beans, pasta, red palm oil, peanut oil, water, chicken. Other fruits and vegetables are inexpensive and easily available.

Mexico: beans, dried corn, sugar, dry milk, vegetable oil, rice, water, “machaca” (dried beef). Other fruits and vegetables are easily available.

China: rice, peanut oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, wheat flour, vegetables, meat (chicken, pork, beef, lamb).

Japan: rice, pasta, prepackaged food, frozen food, instant food, water.

Ukraine: bread, white potatoes, rice or pasta, vegetable oil, canned soup, soy “meat,” eggs, sugar, flour.

Water was essential for every country (although not listed for all) because it is not reliably safe and clean. Their lists were for needy people, not disaster relief.

By getting out of the classroom and learning about an important community resource, students experienced real English in a particular context. They expanded their English competence in all four language learning skills, both academic and informal, and increased their self-confidence. The trip was a good break in the routine and was enjoyed by all.

More information about food banks can be found at: www.feedingillinois.org

Lynn King taught for thirty years in Adult and Secondary ESL. Now retired, she currently lives in Springfield, Illinois.


A Food Bank Field Trip By Lynn King Here’s an idea that can be incorporated any time an instructor thinks it will fit a current theme, a unit of study, or a Civics requirement: food drives, food banks, and food pantries. Inspiration for this idea came about when one of our community college student organizations sponsored a Fall Food Drive. I thought our Adult Education English Language Learners could benefit by learning about food banks and then by donating food to our local food bank during a field trip to the Central Illinois Food Bank, so I called to set a date and time for a tour. Food, in particular, is always an interesting subject and, in this case, talking about food banks and food pantries was a way to broach the topics of “hunger” and “feeding the hungry” as local issues. In fact, it came as a surprise to some students that there are people in our own community who cannot afford to feed themselves and their families all the time and therefore need help to do so. In addition, the topic of volunteerism was also an important part of our discussions. In class, we read local news items and researched the kinds of food that would be appropriate or inappropriate to donate. We learned about the churches, clubs, civic organizations, and after-school programs that have food pantries in the area, how they are run by volunteers, and stocked by donations. Students brought in food to donate, which we bagged and prepared for delivery during our planned field trip: a guided tour of the Central Illinois Food Bank in Springfield, Illinois, which is the main warehouse and distribution center for local and regional food pantries. Language practice focused on container vocabulary with non-count nouns: a box of cereal, a jar of peanut butter, a can of soup, etc. As students brought in their food donations, we all practiced repeating the correct container form and product. Of course, the items they brought in all correlated with the food bank’s donation list. Students also kept a list of new vocabulary that came from readings and discussion. Finally, we brainstormed a list of questions that we might ask our tour guide, practiced them, and had copies of the list made for each student. I suggested that each student should try to ask at least one question during our visit. On the day of the field trip, students signed field trip waivers for the college, divided up into cars of volunteer student drivers, and took their question list, paper, and pen for jotting down words or phrases they thought they should remember. We arrived at the warehouse, were greeted by our guide, given brochures, and received more than an hour’s tour that included the history of the food bank and its affiliation with a national consortium, the names of local retail stores that participate with donations, and how the food is eventually distributed to food pantries. We toured all warehouse areas, including the freezer and the huge scale for weighing bulk items. The guide explained how volunteers sorted and shelved donations and how they use the “best by” date to determine if products were still safe to use. Students did ask some of the questions on our list, and added some of their own. Before we left, we were told that our donations weighed in at 250 pounds, so we were all very pleased. Back in the classroom, we debriefed: students talked about what they learned, shared new vocabulary, and mentioned highlights of the visit. They were then asked to do two things: 1) Write a short personal account of the visit; and 2) Write a thank you letter to the food bank and tour guide. The first writing was checked for any necessary corrections before students made a final typed copy. All student paragraphs were then copied into a shared single form for all to read. The thank you letters included practice in using a formal letter format and in using a gerund form or regular noun after “for,” as in, “thank you for giving us a tour” or “thank you for the tour.” Copies of their writing and the thank you letters were sent to the food bank guide and employees. Photos of our visit were also posted on the bulletin board. A final but unexpected outcome of our talk about food drives, food banks, and pantries was an absolute delight: an international perspective. I had asked students if there were food pantries or similar food distribution plans in their own countries. Most students said no—their countries didn’t have such things. They all thought having food pantries for emergencies and for people in need was a very good idea. We thought about what items would be necessities for a food bank in each of their countries. Here are their lists: Indonesia: rice, milk, sugar, tomato sauce, water, noodles. Fresh fruits and vegetables are easily available or are grown in home gardens. Chicken is also inexpensive. Cameroon, West Africa: rice, milk powder, beans, pasta, red palm oil, peanut oil, water, chicken. Other fruits and vegetables are inexpensive and easily available. Mexico: beans, dried corn, sugar, dry milk, vegetable oil, rice, water, “machaca” (dried beef). Other fruits and vegetables are easily available. China: rice, peanut oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, wheat flour, vegetables, meat (chicken, pork, beef, lamb). Japan: rice, pasta, prepackaged food, frozen food, instant food, water. Ukraine: bread, white potatoes, rice or pasta, vegetable oil, canned soup, soy “meat,” eggs, sugar, flour. Water was essential for every country (although not listed for all) because it is not reliably safe and clean. Their lists were for needy people, not disaster relief. By getting out of the classroom and learning about an important community resource, students experienced real English in a particular context. They expanded their English competence in all four language learning skills, both academic and informal, and increased their self-confidence. The trip was a good break in the routine and was enjoyed by all. More information about food banks can be found at: www.feedingillinois.org Lynn King taught for thirty years in Adult and Secondary ESL. Now retired, she currently lives in Springfield, Illinois.
Fall 2022 - Volume 50, Issue 2