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Byron Schools' Food Pantry

Susan Freyer - Caryn Hoover - Nikki Yerly - Stephanie Wills

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Christmas Food Drives are Filling Our Shelves

January 2026

students with donation in front of car
students with donation in front of cart
table full of donations
women in pajamas in front of bookcase
woman with a bag of donations
students unloading a car of donations
students pushing cart of donations

Christmas in Byron brought a lot of generosity to our food pantry and we are finally catching up with the demand that was on our pantry all first semester. We appreciate all the work and effort of our regular donors and everyone who planned the food drives and delivered non-perishables and other products we needed. This community is always willing to drop everything to help.

Here are some of the organizations who held collections:

Seventh grade teacher Amy Bukoski organized a food drive to collect non-perishables and cleaning products with the 7th grade students at BMS. The group collected items for our food pantry as part of an incentive to receive Tiger Tickets to be used at their PBIS Auction in December. Each pantry item earned them a ticket to be used at the auction!  7th graders were excited to get tickets, but just as excited to help the food pantry! (students in photo are Ada Hazzard and Maddo Hogan from Mrs. Bukoski's flex class)

Byron's Local Chapter of P.E.O held an event to collect hygiene products to donate to our pantry. In the photo, the PEO sisters are gathered for their pajama-themed meeting for January. (Shirley Smith is seen in photo delivering some of the products.)

Uptown Lanes held a Christmas drive that collected non-perishables. They and their patrons collected over 300 pounds of food to donate to our families. They were even able to get Ulta to donate some goodies. Photos include Mrs. Freyer's Child Development class unloading Megan Carr's vehicle filled with the donations and the collection bins bursting with donations.

Finally, Brittany Stavnem and the K-kids held yet their annual "Fill the Bags" food drive from Thanksgiving to Christmas to help fill our pantry shelves. The K-kids are fifth grade students who try to hold a couple food drives a year at the Mary Morgan Elementary school and work hard to collect cartloads of non-perishables and hygiene supplies.

We are very thankful to all of these groups for their efforts to hold these holiday food drives. Our donors make it possible to give our families the help to supplement their groceries and hygiene supplies.

If you are interested in making a donation, please contact Susan, Caryn, Stephanie or Nikki at Byron High School 815-234-5491 or through email: sfreyer@byron226.org.

BMS Student Council Holds a Food Drive For Our Pantry

November 2025

BMS Student Council worked for weeks collecting food in their annual food drive for our pantry. They collected and delivered mounds of non-perishable items to fill our shelves.

Thanks so much to all the kids and Ms. Allie Free for your hard work and muscles to get it to us!!

two students behind a pile of food donations

Byron Park District's Annual Food Drive

November 2025

The Byron Park District help a food drive and from the donations they made "Food Kits" with adorable notes and messages. Thanks so much to the Byron Park District for your continued support! Our families appreciate the time you took to make up the kits and have the notes written!!

food kits donated to the food pantry
food kits donated to the food pantry
food kits donated to the food pantry
food kits donated to the food pantry

BHS National Honor Society Students

Help With Our Thanksgiving Meals!

November 2025

2 teachers and 5 students making thanksgiving donations to food pantry
table full of items for thanksgiving day meal

Every year National Society Members and their advisors, teachers Rikki Knutti and Jessica Wolf, take time to raise money through various fundraisers to be able to donate the fixings for Thanksgiving meal for our food pantry families.

This year was no different and they pulled through and shopped late Friday after school to get us the needed supplies for our families. Past donations provided the turkeys and Knutti and Wolf bought the rest, including pumpkin pies.

Thanks so much to them and all of our regular donors like the Brix and Kroeger families who help us help our families. Our community is the best!!

Byron B with three woman accepting food donation

For Donations to Our Food Pantry:

For more information on where to donate please contact us at:

  • 815-234-5491 ext. 3105 (Caryn Hoover)

Or email us at:

100% of all donations go directly toward our families’ needs. Caryn, Nikki, and Susan volunteer their time and services for the benefit of the food pantry students and their families.

Byron Schools' Food Pantry qualifies as a 501c and non-profit organization as part of the Byron School District.