Blue Star Families donate $9,000 worth of food to Snack in a Pack
Blue Star Families of Missouri donated more than $9,000 worth of food on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, for the Snack in the Pack Program at the Waynesville R-VI School District.
The district estimates the value of the donated food at $1.67 per pound, making the donation of 5422.75 pounds of food worth $9001.77. Tai Kimes, Blue Star Families’ chapter director for Missouri, noted that the donated food included kid-friendly items, such as spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, cereal, crackers and cookies.
“These items could not have come at more crucial time for the children in our community,” said Tina Rowden, the coordinator of grant management for the Waynesville R-VI School District. “Our Snack in a Pack numbers are growing substantially this year.”
In May 2022, Waynesville R-VI students had 325 students receiving Snack in a Pack. As of last week, 724 students are receiving SIAP and that number is expected to climb. Approximately 70% of Waynesville R-VI students are military impacted.
“When we learned of the growing number of participants in the Snack in the Pack program, Blue Star Families wanted to be part of the solution,” Kimes said.
Students receive free breakfast in the Waynesville R-VI School District; however, due to cuts in state and federal programs, only students who qualify receive free or reduced lunches. Additionally, not meeting the required percentage of families receiving free and reduced meals caused the elimination of after school super snacks.
“As a result, we anticipated participation in the Snack in a Pack program growing,” Rowden said.
Snack in a Pack (SIAP) is a supplemental food program that feeds students in the Waynesville R-VI School District over weekends and extended school breaks. During the 2021-2022 school year, SIAP fed approximately 325 students each week. SIAP is a 100% donation-driven program that relies on the generosity of its partners, donors, and community volunteers to continue its mission to feed hungry children and improve educational success.
If you would like to be part of the mission to alleviate food insecurity in our schools, please follow the instructions at https://www.waynesville.k12.
Checks may be made to the Snack in a Pack Program, Williams Early Childhood Center, 12225 Pulaski Avenue, Fort Leonard Wood, MO 65473.
About Blue Star Families
Blue Star Families builds communities that support military families by connecting research and data to programs and solutions. Through groundbreaking research, Blue Star Families is raising the nation’s awareness of the unique challenges of military life and creating innovative programs to solve those challenges for military families. These programs include fighting economic insecurity with resources that foster spouse career development, local events that strengthen family bonds by bringing families together, and providing critical peer support for caregivers. Since its inception in 2009, Blue Star Families has engaged tens of thousands of volunteers and serves more than 1.5 million military family members each year. Blue Star Families ensures that wherever American military families go, they can always feel connected, supported, and empowered to thrive—in every community, across the nation, and around the globe.
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Pictured are Waynesville R-VI maintenance staff Jimmie Vogt and Jimmie Mathis, Tai Kimes of Blue Star Families, and Kevin Pritchard, director of maintenance.
Issued Sept. 29, 2022
