Thrive Cares: Food2Schools Helps Feed Students

Information released by Thrive Chelan Valley

Kayla Helleson, Director of Thrive Chelan Valley, has announced an expanded opportunity to participate in the Food2Schools (F2S) program.

While many students at Chelan and Manson schools receive free or reduced meals at school for breakfast and lunch, they may struggle to stay nourished when away from school evenings, weekends and holidays. Community members are encouraged to help fill the F2S bags for distribution to local kids at school and through the Teen Center on Friday and Saturday evenings. Bags typically contain fruit, juice, cereal, granola bar and easily prepared hot food like Top Ramen and Easy Mac.

The Kelly Allen Agency (102 E. Johnson) serves as a collection site for non-perishable items. Contributors can also call Thrive for additional sites and donation hours. For more details about the Food2Schools program and data about the need in our valley, contact Kayla by email at kayla@thrivechelanvalley.com, by phone at 509.934.2211. Or visit the Thrive Chelan Valley website.

How did Food2Schools get started?

This program started back in 2014 as a pilot program at Manson School District. It has now grown to support both local school districts (4 buildings in Chelan and 3 buildings in Manson) as well as our Thrive Teen Center.  The average percentage of students receiving free/reduced meals is close to 80% in the valley, indicating a large need for food support amongst our school-aged children and teens.

What is a Food2Schools bag?

A Food2Schools bag supports food insecure students by providing easy to make, grab-and-go items for evening and weekend meals.  Many students in the area receive free or reduced meals at school (breakfast & lunch) but struggle to stay nourished outside of school.  These bags have been a huge support to local students over the past four years who may have experienced hunger without this support.  When parents are supportive and able, we try to connect families to the Chelan Food Bank to offer long-term, sustainable food support in the home.  As much as possible, we try to use these bags to provide short-term support for local students in need.

What types of items are in a typical bag?

Inside a typical bag are the following non-perishable items:

  • A packet of Top Ramen (chicken flavor is most requested)
  • A container of Easy Mac
  • Mini Box of Kellogg’s Cereal
  • Cup of Apple Sauce
  • Assorted Fruit Cup
  • Nature Valley Granola Bar
  • A box of Juicy Juice
  • A plastic spoon

How many bags are needed each month?

The need varies from month to month, depending on student situations and time of year.  Historically, we have seen an uptick in need around the winter months when many of our local families are laid off from seasonal work and the roads are tricky to navigate to access the Food Bank.

We also have started offering F2S bags at the Teen Center on Friday and Saturday evenings instead of individual food items.  They have been a huge hit and allow us to consistently offer the same types of foods which provides comfort to food insecure students who attend as they know what they can count on each week for support.

Food2Schools Sponsorship Costs

Typical Cost of one Food2School Bag $2.75
Cost to sponsor one student for school year (1 bag/week) $110
Cost to sponsor one student for school year (2 bags/week) $220
Cost to sponsor one student for school year (3 bags/week) $330
Cost to sponsor a total of 25 bags $68.75
Cost to sponsor a total of 50 bags $137.50
Cost to sponsor a total of 100 bags $275
Cost to sponsor bags for a weekend at the Teen Center $110