PASCACK VALLEY—The Pascack Pi-oneers, FIRST Robotics Team 1676, is hosting its 6th annual Valentine’s Day Food Drive from Thursday, Feb. 5, through Thursday, Feb. 19, inviting residents to “be a food pantry valentine” and help stock local shelves for families in need.
The drive benefits The Helping Hand Food Pantry and the Tri-Boro Food Pantry, which serve communities throughout the Pascack Valley.
Donation bins are available at Hillsdale Library, River Vale Library, and Montvale Library, as well as at participating supermarkets ShopRite of Hillsdale, 372 Broadway, and Kings Supermarket, 381 Washington Ave., Hillsdale.
Requested items include pantry staples and household necessities such as flour, sugar and oil; hot and cold cereal; rice and pasta; canned fruits, vegetables and meats; baby products; shampoo and conditioner; liquid hand soap; dishwashing liquid; personal care items; and paper goods.
The Pi-oneers are a student-run robotics team that competes in the FIRST Mid-Atlantic District. Team members build a new robot each year to compete in the international FIRST Robotics Competition, which emphasizes engineering, teamwork and community service. Organizers said the annual food drive has become a meaningful way for students to give back while engaging local residents in a shared effort to fight food insecurity.
This season, the team is scheduled to compete at the Warren Hills Event and the Mt. Olive Event, working toward qualification for the district championship at Lehigh University.
Beyond competition, the Pi-oneers said they mentor FIRST teams internationally — including teams in South Africa, India and Turkey — and support youth learning through projects such as “Ready, Set, Speak!,” a website designed to help children with autism or apraxia of speech learn words and phrases. The site is also available in Spanish at readysetspeak.org.
The team also shares student-created resources online, including an Academic Varsity Letter Guide, a “Rookie Bookie” guide for new teams, and an Animation Guide for teams interested in starting an animation subdivision.
Looking ahead, the Pi-oneers tell Pascack Press they will launch their second annual prescription medicine bottle recycling drive beginning March 1, with a goal of keeping bottles out of landfills.
For more information — or for those seeking food pickup — email piparents@team1676.com.
