The Great Ignatian Challenge - Loyola School

Since 1980, New York Common Pantry is dedicated to reducing hunger throughout New York City while promoting dignity and self-sufficiency. It is one of New York City’s most innovative emergency food providers offering meals and support services to nearly 400,000 individuals. To learn more about NYCP programs and how you can help, visit nycommonpantry.org

This year Loyola will be collecting food for New York Common Pantry. Donating Goods is Easy! Click on Shop Now to purchase the goods you wish to donate. You will be emailed a tax receipt at the time of purchase and all online donations will be shipped at the close of the drive directly to NYCP.  Online prices include shipping and handling. 

“Love ought to show itself in deed more than in words.” – St Ignatius Loyola

For the third year in a row, Loyola and five other Jesuit high schools – Fairfield Prep, Fordham Prep, St. Peter’s Prep, Regis, and Xavier – are being called to actively respond to the words of St. Ignatius, in a friendly but spirited competition, The Great Ignatian Challenge.  Through their collective food drive efforts these 6 metro-area Jesuit schools will work to raise hunger awareness while filling local food banks and pantries with tens of thousands of pounds of much-needed provisions for needy families in New York, Connecticut, and Northern New Jersey.

An anonymous donor who was inspired by the existing Thanksgiving food drives at each school has once again pledged $250,000 and this year, for the first time, a donor from each of the other schools will contribute $10,000 – for an overall gift of $300,000, to be divided among the schools based on the amount of food collected per student.  Last year alone, the schools collectively raised well over 100,000 cans of food and are expected to surpass that total in this year’s Challenge.

The undisputed winners of The Great Ignatian Challenge are the food banks and charities whose shelves last year were filled with more than 101,000 cans of food – the equivalent of 44 tons of provisions. Please consider partnering with Loyola to reach its donation goal of 20,000 lbs of food! Go Knights!!