BLOOMINGTON — A local donation drive is set to take place to gather essential food items for Community Kitchen’s Backpack Buddies program. The initiative aims to support area school children and their families by addressing weekend hunger.
Community Kitchen’s Backpack Buddies program delivers backpacks filled with nutritious, non-perishable food directly to local schools each week. The food is then distributed to children who qualify for the free or reduced-price lunch program. These weekend food packages help ensure that young students receive adequate nutrition when school meal services are unavailable.
Needed Items
Organizers are asking community members to donate shelf-stable, kid-friendly, and easy-to-prepare food items. Requested items include:
- Proteins & Canned Meats: Canned or pouch tuna, canned or pouch chicken, peanut butter, and SPAM
- Quick Meals & Staples: Macaroni & cheese, meal helpers (such as Hamburger, Chicken, or Tuna Helpers), small boxes of cereal, instant oatmeal (individual portions), and small bread mixes (cornbread, muffin, biscuit)
- Easy-to-Prepare Items: Instant mashed potatoes, dried soups, beans, rice, dried pasta, and canned vegetables
- Snacks & Fruit: Fruit cups (applesauce, tropical fruit, pears, peaches), granola/fruit/cereal bars, and dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries, tropical fruit)
How to Help
Members of the public are encouraged to bring donations to the event site during designated drive hours. Every contributed item directly helps nourish local children over the weekend and keeps area students focused and ready to learn each week.
