With the school year underway, the Kewanee Food Pantry has resumed its mission of making sure local students don’t go hungry over the weekend.
Each week, under the guidance of nutritionist Annette Jackson, the pantry assembles 150 gallon-sized Ziploc bags filled with food. These bags are distributed across the two school districts and sent home with students each Friday. The bags contain items like cereal, crackers, at least one canned meal, fruit cups and other snacks to support children facing food insecurity.
The cost of each bag is approximately $2.90, bringing the weekly total to approximately $600. Last year, the total cost of the program was $9,000, and funded by the food pantry and an annual donation of $1,500 from Peoples National Bank.
Food Pantry Board President Barb Gross is now asking the community for their support to keep the program going. Monetary donations—cash or check—are welcome and can be mailed to:
Kewanee Food Pantry, 924 Rose St., Kewanee, IL.
Be sure to earmark your donation for the backpack program.
In addition to financial contributions, the pantry is also seeking donations of gallon-sized Ziploc bags. These can be dropped off at the pantry during the following hours:
Tuesdays: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Thursdays: 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Every donation will go to ensuring children who may be experiencing food insecurity have access to food over the weekend.
