A Wild Thanksgiving with Holiday Helpings

When school breaks arrive, many of our local families face an impossible challenge: keeping their children nourished, healthy, and active without the daily meals provided at school. That’s where Holiday Helpings steps in. Before every major school break—Thanksgiving, Winter, Spring, and Summer—Chefs for Kids provides bags packed with food, grocery gift cards, and nutrition resources to support children who need it most.

Stuffing Bags, Spreading Joy

This past week, our volunteers rolled up their sleeves and packed 130 Holiday Helpings bags filled with fresh produce, a $50 grocery store gift card, and a full nutrition education packet. Altogether, that’s 2,340 snack opportunities and 2,210 meals headed straight to families in need.

Edible Art: Animals in the Wild

We love adding an element of fun (and a little creativity!) to each Holiday Helpings bag. This time, the theme was Animals in the Wild—and kids received everything they needed to build adorable edible art: an owl, fox, dog, and even a pair of penguins made entirely from the produce included in their bag.

Want to join in on the creativity at home? Download the activity worksheet here.

Gratitude for Our Volunteers

A heartfelt thank-you to our wonderful volunteers from MGM Resorts International and Elite Commercial Real Estate for lending their time, energy, and enthusiasm. Because of you, each bag was packed with care and delivered with love.

Why We Do It

At the end of the day, it’s all about helping families feel supported—especially during times when budgets are stretched and food insecurity hits hardest. We were deeply moved by this message from one of the families who received a Holiday Helpings bag:

“This gift was everything for the Hall family. We are extremely grateful. Thank you.” 

Help Us Feed More Families

Holiday Helpings is 100% powered by community generosity. If you’d like to help ensure children have healthy meals during school breaks, please consider making a donation or volunteering with Chefs for Kids. Together, we can keep kids nourished, learning, and thriving all year long.