Do you remember the first days of school? The thrill of gathering all your new school supplies such as pencils, crayons and folders and hoping your assigned seat in class was next to your best friend? Do you remember eating your brown paper bag lunch, filled with sandwiches, snacks and juice boxes right before recess?

Throughout Southwest Florida, more than 65% of all public school-aged students are eligible for free or reduced lunches. These families are unable to send their children to school with brown paper bag lunches, and they need assistance to provide food for their children, especially on the weekends or over long holidays.

For students like Charlotte, our In-School Pantry Program provides access to food to help sustain her family over the weekend. Many families like Charlotte’s are dual-income; however, two paychecks are simply insufficient to feed their families while covering the cost of living. Sometimes it is the teacher who helps identify students, like Charlotte, who are food insecure. Many of our families are unable to attend a traditional food distribution since they are working and cannot take time off to get food. Our In-School Pantry Program provides accessible food where children attend school, therefore reducing the barriers that these families face as they struggle with food insecurity.

Can we count on your continued support? We can’t feed these students and their families without your help. You can make a difference in our community.

Please join us! No child should have to go hungry.

To make a gift, click here.