Drop canned food in bins on Ride Gwinnett buses through Nov. 13 to help the Lawrenceville Co-Op. Here is what it needs most and when the pantry closes for Thanksgiving.
Bus riders can help stock the Lawrenceville Co-Op’s shelves through Friday, Nov. 13.
Ride Gwinnett, the county’s bus service, is running a “Stuff-a-Bus” food drive. Donation bins are on its local buses, paratransit vans and microtransit vehicles. Everything collected goes to the Lawrenceville Co-Op, the food pantry on Gwinnett Drive. Gwinnett County announced the drive in a Nov. 4 notice.
The drive started Monday, Nov. 2. It gives the pantry a lift in the weeks before Thanksgiving.
What to give
The county and the Co-Op list the same five foods as the most needed:
- corn
- instant potatoes
- snacks
- canned fruit and applesauce
- canned tuna
The Co-Op’s donation page also asks for personal care items. It has an urgent need for feminine pads. It needs diapers in sizes 1, 2 and 5 and up, and says it has enough size 3 and 4.
The Co-Op does not take perishable food that needs a refrigerator. It does not take food more than a year past its date.
Where to drop it off
On a bus. Look for the Stuff-a-Bus bin on your trip. Routes and schedules are on RideGwinnett.com, and microtransit is booked through the Ride Gwinnett app.
At the Ride Gwinnett Customer Service Center, 3525 Mall Blvd., Suite 5C, in Duluth, about 10 miles west. The county lists its hours as:
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Saturday | 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
Groups that want to take part can call Ride Gwinnett Customer Service at 770-822-5010, the county said.
At the Co-Op itself, if a bus is not on your way. The pantry is at 52 Gwinnett Drive, Suite C. Its posted donation hours are:
| Day | Donation hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Tuesday and Thursday | 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
| Wednesday and Friday | 9 a.m. to noon |
| Saturday | 10 to 11:30 a.m. |
The Co-Op also lists churches that collect food and pass it on, including Lawrenceville Presbyterian, First United Methodist Church of Lawrenceville and McKendree United Methodist. Their drop-off days and times are on the same page.
About the Co-Op
The Lawrenceville Cooperative Ministry is a Christian nonprofit founded by local churches. It provides food for people in need in Lawrenceville and Dacula, about six miles east, according to its website.
It serves about 250 families each week, the Co-Op says. It turned 30 in 2025.
What it means for you
- To give: pack one of the five most-needed foods for your next bus trip, or drop it at the Duluth center or the Co-Op by Friday, Nov. 13.
- If you need food: the Co-Op hands out food from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday and 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday and Friday, by appointment only. Book through the link on its home page or call 770-339-7887.
- What to bring: a photo ID for every adult in the household, an ID showing the birthdate of each child, and a piece of mail dated within 30 days that shows your address. The Co-Op asks for these at every visit.
- Plan around Thanksgiving: the Co-Op says it is closed from Tuesday, Nov. 24, through Sunday, Nov. 29.
For more on the holiday week, including trash pickup and the courthouse tree lighting, see our Thanksgiving in Lawrenceville guide. The county’s Veterans Day plans are on our Veterans Day page.
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