From Recipient to Supporter

A full circle story

A few months ago, we were hosting a tour for a company that was generously donating to Every Meal. Suddenly, one of the employees on the tour announced, “My family used to receive these bags.” She introduced herself as Tracy.

Tracy explained that a few years ago, while all of her kids were still living at home, it was hard to make ends meet. She learned about Every Meal through her kids’ school and signed up for the Weekend Meal Program. She said:

” These bags were super helpful for a single mom of three on a fixed income and a very tight budget. They were a lifesaver to me. “

Now Tracy has new employment where she no longer needs the Every Meal weekend food bags. She is proud to be able to be on the other end of the organization now. She has come full circle and today, she can help other families who need extra support to keep their kids’ bellies full on the weekends.

Watch the video to hear more from Tracy on how the food bags were a lifesaver for her and her three children during a difficult time.

Support that takes some burden off families

You can help ensure that other families like Tracy’s receive nourishing weekend food bags. Although the school year has ended, we are already purchasing food and prepping for September.

Can you donate today to help us get ready to start the school year strong and continue sending home weekend food with kids like Tracy’s?

A gift of $24 will cover the costs of weekend food for one child for a month. Plus, your donation’s impact will be doubled, thanks to matching funds from the West Wings family foundation!

When kids like Tracy’s bring home food from school on Fridays, it removes the hurdle of transportation that many families face when trying to access support. As a social worker at one of our partner schools explains:

“It takes some burden off families, especially for working families who do not have the time to access food shelves or other resources.”

Tracy explains, “I know that food security is a very real issue for a lot of families, even in our immediate area. You never know that your child’s classmate could only be getting that hot meal at school and nothing at home or very little at home. [It] was such a lifesaver for us at the time.”

Donations from the community make that possible. We served about 1 in 10 schools across Minnesota for the 23-24 school year, so chances are that we are in your neighborhood school or your child’s classroom. Can you give a gift today to help a child in your area experiencing hunger?

Double your impact

Thanks to the West Wings Family Foundation, donations are being doubled for a limited time! Your donation of $24 will have an impact of $48, helping to feed two children with weekend food for a month. Please donate today so that your gift goes twice as far to ensure school kids stay full all weekend long. The $200,000 in matching funds won’t last long! Through July 30, your gift will be matched and go twice as far to provide nutritious, delicious, and relevant weekend food for a hungry child.