Feeding young kids: United Way launches 24-hour ‘The Power of $10’ campaign

Volunteers pack lunches at the United Way of Eastern Idaho for kids who are hungry at home. | Courtesy United Way of Eastern Idaho

IDAHO FALLS — The United Way of Eastern Idaho is teaming up with local schools, businesses and the community Thursday, March 6, to feed hungry children in its “Power of $10” campaign.

United Way of Eastern Idaho provides 200 meals every week to assist children in schools in both Idaho Falls School District 91 and Bonneville Joint School District 93.

One young student kept asking his teacher if he could go out to his backpack to grab something to eat, said United Way of Eastern Idaho CEO Chris Wiersema.

“He was going back to his backpack to take a bite out of half an eaten banana because he was hungry, but he felt so guilty because if he finished this banana, then his little brother at home would have nothing to eat,” Wiersema said on the United Way website. “Our program was able to partner with the school and make an astounding difference in this family’s life.”

United Way works directly with school counselors who “know the students best,” United Way Community Impact Manager Arial Howell told the Idaho Falls Rotary Club on Wednesday.

“They figure out which students are having food insecurity issues in their household. They tell us a number of how many kids in their school need help with food over the weekend, because that’s when they don’t have access to their lunchrooms,” she added.

Through midnight, you can donate $10 (or more) to help benefit the nonprofit’s weekend food program.

Ready, Set, Go! food program

Each Wednesday, volunteers assemble weekly food packs, she said.

Counselors pick up the packs on Friday and “discretely” place them in students’ backpacks so they’ll have meals to eat over the weekend.

“It’s very kid-friendly. We want them to be able to eat,” Howell said. “It’s nutritious. We do put fresh fruit in there every week, and then also there’s snacks and meals included.”

The organization needs to raise $10,000 to provide meals for the remainder of the school year.

“It takes $10 to feed one kid for one weekend,” Howell said.

The United Way of Eastern Idaho hosts a ‘kid-friendly’ food warehouse. | Courtesy United Way of Eastern Idaho

You can also donate any of the following food items, according to the United Way website.

Kraft Mac & Cheese (single-serve cups) Chef Boyardee ravioli (single-serve cups) NutriGrain bars Chewy granola bars Fruit cups Applesauce in pouches Oatmeal packets Cereal mini-boxes Sandwich crackers Fruit snacks Shelf-stable milk in 8-ounce cartons Gift cards from Costco and Sam’s Club are also needed for fresh fruit, cheese and shelf-stable milk.

You can drop off food donations to 1649 Woodruff Park in Idaho Falls between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The United Way office requests that you coordinate donation drop-offs with Howell at [email protected].

Additional videos of counselors, community volunteers and recipients can be viewed on the United Way of Eastern Idaho’s Facebook page.