As we approach the holiday season, we are mindful that food security is a challenge for individuals and families. During this time, the demand increases for food pantries, shelters and community centers. How can we help?

Each Thanksgiving season, Jesuit high schools along the East Coast participate in the Great Ignatian Challenge! The G.I.C. is an annual holiday food drive competition intended to raise the students’ awareness of hunger and inspire them to take action by working to fill their local food banks, pantries, and community centers with tens of thousands of pounds of much-needed provisions. This friendly but spirited competition will run from October 27 through November 25. Please review our GIC Fact & Past Result Sheet for more information.

The Challenge

Fordham Prep alum, Jim Rowen, has once again personally pledged funds to support the participating schools’ efforts. Inspired by the commitment to social justice and service to the community that lies at the heart of Jesuit education, Mr. Rowen pledges money each year to support financial aid for participating schools. Twenty-two schools will compete in this tiered award competition to see which school will collect the most pounds of food per student.

Great Ignatian Challenge Awards

  • 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place for Highest Total among ALL competing schools
  • Best Public Relation Effort
  • Biggest Year-Over-Year Increase

Ways to Donate

  • Donation Bins | Bins will be stationed in our main lobby for in-person drop offs during the school day. We will accept all non-perishable items. 
    • All donations should be properly bagged and labeled; Student/ Person Full Name, Class Year/ Department.
    • If you wish to donate turkeys, please email Mr. Cummings to coordinate drop off at Prep CummingsK@spprep.org. 
    • Please assure that all donated food is not expired.

A list of recommended food items to donate is available here!

  • Metro Plaza ShopRite Partnership
    • We are happy to announce that our neighbors Metro Plaza ShopRite, located in Downtown Jersey City, are partnering with us again to create a seamless shopping experience for all. Starting Wednesday, November 5th, you can order non-perishable food items through the Shoprite App or shoprite.com to be collected for our food drive. 
    • GIC ShopRite Instructions 
      • Following these instructions will help Prep and ShopRite accurately track donations and simplify the collection process. During checkout, please put the Full Name & Class Year/ Department to ensure donation total is documented properly. 
    • It’s the easiest and most effective way to help us feed our community…plus, ShopRite of Metro Plaza will donate an extra $50 in food for every $1000 spent in support of the Great Ignatian Challenge
    • Please Note: You are not limited to shopping at Shoprite. You are free to shop at other supermarkets; Walmart, Aldi’s BJ’s, Costco, etc. 
  • ShopRite Gift Cards
    • Purchase ShopRite gift cards in-store or at ShopRite.com and send them to:
      Keith Cummings, ’10
      Saint Peter’s Prep
      144 Grand Street
      Jersey City NJ 07302-4431

      Please be sure to include a note with the donor’s full name and class year/department.
    • If you are purchasing cards online, you can use this as the shipping address, and the cards will be mailed directly to Prep. If you are buying cards in-store, you can also deliver them in person to Mr. Cummings in the Campus Ministry office.
    • A Prep alumnus has offered to work with students to purchase sale items using the gift cards we collect, so this is a great opportunity to maximize the amount of food your donation will secure for our food drive partners!
  • Check or Cash
    • If you would like to support this initiative via check or cash, please seal them in an envelope with your full name and class year/department sent to the attention of:
      Keith Cummings, ’10
      Saint Peter’s Prep
      144 Grand Street
      Jersey City NJ 07302-4431
    • Checks should be made out to Saint Peter’s Prep with GIC 2025 in the memo line.
    • All contributions will be spent at Shop Rite on heavy items to contribute to our school total. All items will be documented, and all contributions will be logged according to donor’s full name and class year/department.

Our Food Drive Partners

All donations Prep collects during our food drive will be forwarded to the following organizations:

  • Angela Cares – Jersey City, NJ
  • Hunger Free UIC – Bayonne, NJ
  • Our Lady of Sorrows Food Pantry – Jersey City, NJ
  • St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church’s Food Pantry–  Jersey City, NJ
  • Trinity Lutheran Church – Jersey City, NJ
  • Zion Cares – Jersey City, NJ

About the Great Ignatian Challenge

Fordham Prep alum, Jim Rowen, has once again personally pledged funds to support the participating schools’ efforts. Inspired by the commitment to social justice and service to the community that lies at the heart of Jesuit education, Mr. Rowen pledges money each year to support financial aid for participating schools. 22 schools will compete in this tiered award competition to see which school will collect the most pounds of food per student.

Our Past Results

  • 2019 – 15,035 pounds ($30,000 awarded for Financial Aid)
  • 2020 – 7,505 pounds ($15,000 awarded for Financial Aid)
  • 2021 – 6,049 pounds ($10,000 awarded for Financial Aid)
  • 2022 – 15,425 pounds ($30,000 awarded for Financial Aid)
  • 2023 – 12,607.5 pounds ($10,000 awarded for Financial Aid)
  • 2024 – 27,505.21 pounds ($15,000 awarded for Financial Aid)

Our 2025 Goals

  1. 20,000 pounds! 
  2. 25 pounds donated per student! Examples:
    • 27x 15 cans oz corn, green beans, etc.
    • 1x 25 pound bag of rice
    • 20x 20 oz cans of beans or soups
    • 25x 1-pound boxes of pasta
    • 1x standard 25-pound sack of potatoes 

We are in a great place to make this Thanksgiving holiday truly special for a large number of families in the Hudson County area. Let’s make this G.I.C. one to remember! Please contact Mr. Keith Cummings, ’10 at CummingsK@spprep.org with all questions, concerns, requests, or comments!

Campus Ministry