What’s in the Bag?

Throughout the year, our Holiday Helpings program supports feeding families. We talk a lot about the program, how many people it feeds, and our amazing volunteers who help stuff the bags. Today, we want to give you a deeper look at what’s inside the bag.

Holiday Helpings Flyer – Each Holiday Helpings event we create a custom flyer that explains what’s in the bag. There is always a healthy recipe utilizing the ingredients in the bag. We also include a healthy activity to promote a whole-body approach to good health. 

Eat a Rainbow Flyer – Did you know that different colors of fruits and vegetables help with different functions of your body? For example – red produce is good for the heart, joints, and memory, while purple produce aids with memory and digestion. Our Eat a Rainbow flyer educates families on these health benefits and encourages them to eat a rainbow of colors every day. Included is an activity sheet the kids can fill out showing which produce they ate each day, and return the sheet for a prize. 

Lemon Says Cards – We recently created a healthy physical activity card game, Lemon Says, to provide to our kiddos. Part Simon Says, part daily affirmation cards with a healthy twist, Lemon Says cards encourage kids to pick at least one card every day and do as Lemon Says. Each card features a fruit or vegetable demonstrating a different healthy activity for them to do. Whether it’s mountain climbers or meditating, this is a fun and engaging way to get kids active.

Engaging Envelopes – Our envelopes don’t only serve a functional purpose to hold all the above elements together, it also serves as an engaging coloring activity and education tool. Children are encouraged to color-in seasonal produce. The overall message for families is that eating fresh produce can be more affordable when you buy produce that is in season, and it doesn’t have to be fresh – frozen, canned or dried can be just as nutritious!

Important to note – every handout we provide, including the Lemon Says cards, is written in both English and Spanish.

We recently finished out the 2024 year of Holiday Helpings initiatives and wanted to share all of the good we were able to do thanks to your support. 

Holiday Helpings By The Numbers 2024:

471 families receive bag
1,884 people served
7,065 meals 2024
5,652 snacking opportunities

We’re looking forward to continuing this program in 2025 and feeding even more families. If you’d like to be a part of this growth, you can always make a donation or email us to volunteer and help stuff the bags! 

Thank you for your continued support.