Thankful for You!

Giving season is here and as families gather together from Thanksgiving to New Years, they reflect on what they’re thankful for. We want to take a moment to show our gratitude for you. The week leading up to Thanksgiving we were hard at work preparing 120 bags of produce and nutrition education to be given out to families in need at the schools we support as part of our Holiday Helpings initiative. We do it again the week of December 15! 

Packing and delivering these bags in one day is hard work, but knowing we’re going to make 120 families’ holiday meals happen when it otherwise might not have, makes it all worth it. Let’s take a minute to pause and reflect on how far this program has come over the years. For years we provided families at the Chefs for Kids schools with a $50 grocery gift card. We typically supported six families at each school during Thanksgiving and Winter breaks, but we knew we could do more. We started including a packet of nutrition education information, aligning with our mission. 

And then we called upon our community to help us raise money to expand this program, and by 2023 we were supporting 10 families in each of our schools during all four major school breaks (Thanksgiving, Winter, Spring, and Summer). But your support continued to blossom and by Spring 2024 we were able to add grocery bags that included bags of produce. 

Because of you, our program has grown into a beautiful opportunity to not only feed families, but provide them with opportunities to create memories that last a lifetime. We carefully select produce that can be used to make a fun activity creating fun, themed food art.  This engages kids and creates a bonding experience for the whole family. We’ve included the handout to download here if you want to get in on the fun! Additionally, we have started adding a physical activity in each bag to stress the importance of a whole-body healthy approach.

We couldn’t continue to do this great work without you. Thank you for all that you have done in the past, and we hope you will continue to support the future success of this program by making a donation today. Looking to volunteer? Email us.