I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®, Odwalla, and Champions for Kids #cbias #SocialFabric”.
I have mentioned many times that one cause I am passionate about is children going hungry. I just can’t fathom it, never for a second wondering where my next meal would come from or how I would feed my family.
When we moved to Grand Rapids 8 years ago we almost immediately got involved with a local organization fighting childhood hunger.
Kids Food Basket provides evening meals for elementary school kids that don’t have a stable source of food. These are kids who are getting their breakfasts and lunches at schools, but then often times go home with empty bellies. Heartbreakingly it was started after a teacher noticed her students rummaging through the dumpster after school. I can’t even fathom.
When it started it was feeding about 175 kids a day. Now we feed over 5000 kids a day. FIVE THOUSAND KIDS. The need is shocking, but what they are accomplishing is amazing. And it could not be done without donations and volunteers. Over 150 people come in a day to pack up sack suppers to be delivered to the schools. And because they don’t take any government money, there is a HUGE need for food donations.
A few years back I worked with Champions for Kids and was able to give back to the foster care agency that would one day bring us our first foster baby.
This time Champions For Kids is partnering with Odwalla for the Hunger In The Summer Project in order to help raise awareness about the problem of childhood hunger that is exacerbated in the summer. Only 1 out of 6 kids who get free or reduced lunches throughout the school year have access to the same in the summer.
And while KFB doesn’t feed all 5000 kids in the summer, it does work with local parks and recs to ensure that as many kids as possible are being fed. So the opportunity to donate to an organization we love and bring awareness to a cause that I am so passionate about was a win- win.
Doing a food drive for your local food bank that serves children is such a simple service project for you or your family this summer. I headed to my local Walmart to shop for some Odwalla granola bars that could go into sack suppers at KFB.
What I love about Odwalla granola bars is that kids will love the flavors, but I am much happier with the ingredients than a typical granola bar. They also have juice boxes which are a cornerstone of the sack supper at KFB.
My kids have been asking lately for a way to volunteer (I know, how awesome) and Lily has even gone so far as to have a bunch of classmates sign a letter asking her principal if they could have a food drive. I am really hoping we can make that happen before the school year ends and momentum dies. Then again I think sometimes serving is a bit “out of sight out of mind” during the summer, so maybe the timing is perfect.
Champions For Kids is just the reminder I need that summer is when these kids need us most. Our family will definitely be looking for more ways to help Kids Food Basket all summer long. For more information about the Hunger in the Summer Project please visit Champions for Kids and donate food to families in your community!
