Tradition Rooted in Service
St. Joe’s Food Basket
What began in 1970 with a religion teacher and a handful of students collecting food for families in need has grown into one of St. Joe’s most enduring acts of service.
This December marks the 44th consecutive year that students and staff will collect and deliver nonperishable food items and paper products to the Warming House, St. Bonaventure University’s (SBU) student-run soup kitchen in Olean.
Make An Impact
get involved today
The Food Basket tradition thrives because of the generosity of our school community. Students, parents and alumni can help by dropping off nonperishable items at the school beginning Monday, December 1, and continuing through Friday, December 19.
While the Warming House welcomes all donations, this student-run soup kitchen focuses on cooking from scratch and prefers basic ingredients.
Small Act, Big impact
The annual delivery, totaling 10,500 donated items last year, is the most significant single contribution the Warming House receives each year.
Under the leadership of history teacher Mike Stewart and English teacher Bill Seifert, students spend weeks organizing donations, packing boxes and preparing for the delivery. It's truly a community-wide effort that reflects the Lasallian mission of faith, service and Brotherhood.
The WARMING HOUSE Legacy
Believed to be the oldest student-run soup kitchen in the nation, the Warming House has served more than 22,000 meals this year with the help of over 800 volunteers, most of them SBU students.
The organization celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, continuing to provide food, dignity, and compassion to those who need it most.
"Food Basket isn’t just a holiday project, it's a tradition that reflects the culture at St. Joe’s. Our young men take pride in carrying forward decades of generosity, proving that even small acts of service can make a big difference.”- Mike Stewart, Food basket Co-Moderator, HisTory Teacher