Be a Food Angel. Leave No Kid Hungry at Thanksgiving!
"The recent government shutdown had really hurt the low-income families to the core. Kids and parents were skipping meals and going hungry. As the government reopens, it remains unclear when the food stamps will be distributed and how much. Furthermore, families had also depleted their food stocks and savings and become more vulnerable than ever. They really need your help." -- Danielle Miller-Winrow, Headmaster of Sprout U School of the Arts, Trenton, NJ.

"Schools are about to go on the one-week Thanksgiving break soon. This means that low-income students will not get the free breakfast and lunch at school that they depend on for meals. As Thanksgiving gets close, families are really beginning to panic, wondering how they are going to make it through the holidays. To make matters worse, the shutdown had caused demands for service to skyrocket at food pantries and charity organizations which are now running dry themselves. Your donations are desperated needed." -- Reverend Alexander Smith, New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Apopka, FL

Calling all Food Angels!

At Harmony123, we say No Kid Should Go Hungry!  On November 9. 2025, Harmony123 used our Emergency Response Fund, urgently created with donations from Harmony123 Board Members, to purchase and distribute $709 of food to students’ families of Sprout U, and $1000 of food to the homeless families cared for by the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church. It was only a baby step to carry the families through a few days. They still need your help more than ever.
We are running a Food Drive and Winter Clothing Drive in Central New Jersey to support the Sprout U families in Trenton, NJ and a Food Drive in Central Florida to support the homeless families in Apopka, FL in collaboration with the bridgED Initiative and the Almond Blossom Initiative. If you are interested in participating in either drive in any way, please contact us at [email protected]. In addition to donating food and clothes gathered from your home or purchased on your next grocery trip, please also collect money or donations from your communities such as schools, churches, neighbors and Nextdoor, grocery stores, restaurants, bakeries, and so on. Anything and everything is appreciated, and a list of preferred food and winter clothing items for donation can be found below in the FAQ.

Please help spread the words by sharing this urgent message with your friends, communities, and the social media. If you have any inquiries or suggestions, please email us at [email protected]. Please also email us if you have any stories, photos, and videos from your community that you’d like us to share. We will try to highlight them as much as possible on our website.

Be a Food Angel and together, let’s Leave No Kid Hungry!
From Headmaster of Sprout U, after our first-round emergency delivery on November 9 and our promise of continued support with the food and donation drive:

"Your compassion and generosity come at a time when it’s needed most. So many of our students and parents are facing challenges beyond the classroom, and your willingness to step in, uplift, and provide nourishment brings hope where it’s needed most. I am truly overwhelmed by the kindness, organization, and heart you’ve poured into supporting our school community. You have reminded us all that harmony isn’t just in music—it’s in action, empathy, and unity. From our entire Sprout U family — students, staff, and parents — thank you for being a light in our community and for standing beside us.

From Reverend Alexander Smith, New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Apopka, FL on food donation:

"Thank you so very much. We were able to bless families and bring a smile to their face. A smile instead of a hungry frown."

​Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What are preferred food items for donation? 
A: Thank you so much for wanting to help! Here are some preferences based on previous donation drives organized by Harmony123 and other charity organizations.

- Nonperishable food items are preferred because the families can stretch them out for days or weeks, and because not every family has a functioning refrigerator. Ready-to-eat and easy-to-cook items are preferred because not every family has access to a kitchen or has the time or skills to cook. A mix of proteins, carbohydrates, fruit and vegetable are welcome. Food has to be unopened. On the distribution day, the food has to have at least one week before expiration. A small amount of perishable food that may last 2-3 days or must be eaten right away can a nice touch, but timely distribution and consumption needs to be arranged ahead of time.

- Here are some specific examples. It's meant to be an illustrative instead of exhaustive list.
  - Canned food: Chicken, beef, ham, fish (tuna, sardine, etc), soup, stews, meals, vienna sausage, beans, fruit, vegetables (peas, corn, green beans, baked beans, tomatos, carrots, etc)
  - Dry food: pasta, evaporated milk, instant noodles, power bars, granola bars, cereal, instant oatmeal, instant grits, cream of wheat, crackers, dried fruit (raisins, prunes, etc), all-purpose flour, rice
  - Jar/bottle/cups: Peanut butter, jam, apple sauce, jello cups, puddings, pasta sauce, ketchup, cooking oil, shelf-stable milk box and juice box that do not require refrigeration
  - Microwaveable food: meals, bacon
  - Fresh food that has a long shell life without refrigeration: apples, potatos, onions, cabbage
  - A small amount of perishable food that need to be consumed within 2-3 days: bread/cookies/bakery, eggs, bananas
  - For Thanksgiving: canned food (turkey, chicken, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes/yam, green beans, corn, and peas), dry food (boxed stuffing mix, gravy packets, boxed pie crust mix, boxed cake mix, cornbread mix, sugar, flour, rice, pasta), drinks (shelf-stable juice boxes, hot chocolate packets)
  - Other necessities: toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags, liquid dish soup, laundry detergent.

Q: What are preferred winter clothing items for donation? 
A: Thank you so much for wanting to help! Here are some preferences based on previous donation drives organized by Harmony123 and other charity organizations.

- Warm, durable, unisex, one-size-fits-many, machine washable items provide the maximum flexibility in helping the widest group of people. Clothing items must be clean and in good working condition.

- Here are some specific examples. It's meant to be an illustrative instead of exhaustive list.
  - Winter coats and jackets, sweaters and hoodies, warm pants, thermo underwear and base layers
  - warm scarfs, shawls, hats and beanies, thick socks, insulated gloves and mittens
  - blankets