Three Central Florida theaters are uniting once again this holiday season to aid local children who go hungry when not in school.

After a brief hiatus, Orlando Family Stage, Orlando Shakes and Winter Park Playhouse are reviving their participation in the Conway Cares Holiday Food Drive in response to growing community need.

Conway Cares was founded in 2011 after Orlando Family Stage artistic director Jeff Revels saw a “60 Minutes” report on child hunger that featured students from a local school who didn’t receive reliable meals between their school-provided Friday lunch and Monday breakfast. Within days, Revels and volunteers began gathering snacks and small meals to be given to students identified by school staff members to take home over the weekend.

Conway Cares continues to provide weekend nourishment to local children through partnerships with neighborhood schools and Servant’s Heart Center. At peak times, the initiative has served about 150 students weekly.

“Year after year, our audiences have helped care for families in our neighborhoods,” said Revels in a statement.  “Their steady generosity is the reason this program has fed so many children, and why it continues to matter so much. It shows that the arts support community needs in a real, tangible way.”

This trio of participating theaters brings a renewed multigenerational dimension to the effort. Many Orlando Shakes and Winter Park Playhouse theatregoers are part of older families, and the food drive helps them support the next generation. At Orlando Family Stage, which serves young audiences and has ties to local parents, educators and students, the need is seen every day.

“Working alongside Orlando Shakes and Winter Park Playhouse makes this effort even stronger,” Revels added. “When our theaters come together, we create more visibility, more impact and more care for the children and families who depend on this program.”

Collections will focus on child-friendly, shelf-stable foods such as granola bars, fruit cups, juice boxes, peanut-butter crackers, pasta dishes and canned vegetables. Donations can be brought to any of the three organizations’ holiday performances or dropped off in theater lobbies during regular operating hours.

Orlando Family Stage is at 1001 E. Princeton St. in Orlando. Winter Park Playhouse and Orlando Shakes are both operating this year at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center, 812 E. Rollins St. in Orlando.

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The Conway Cares Holiday Food Drive will continue throughout the holiday season, helping ensure students stay nourished during the extended school breaks.

“Theater has always been about connection,” leaders of the three theaters wrote in a joint statement. “Whether you are a grandparent who loves supporting local kids or a parent who understands the pressures families face, this drive offers a way to give back. It is one of the simplest ways to make a direct impact.”

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https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/29/orlando-theaters-holiday-food-collection/