A Northwoods group hoping to keep nutritional support to school-age children from food insecure families from the Northland Pines School District has made progress, but more help is needed.
Feed Our Rural Kids...or FORK...spokesperson Perry Pokrandt says after the recent launch of the effort, members of the public have asked what FORK Cares will be doing....
"...The food insecurity issues are around the summer time when kids are on vacation, when kids no longer have access to their 10 meals a week. When kids no longer have simple access or simple access to the backpack program. When kids no longer have access to The Locker, those are middle and high school kids. FORK Cares is going to deliver supplemental nutrition to children in their homes...."
Pokrandt says they are making plans for delivery...
"...We're going to start delivering meals every month at the beginning of every month. 12 supplemental meals in each package that's delivered. It's 5,400 total meals for the program in it's first year...."
He says they've had a positive response to their request to fund the program...
"...I think we at just over 2,800 meals of the 5,400 that we need. That may seem like a good start, but we know the enthusiastic folks generally step forward first. We've had some great support from organizations, businesses and individuals as well. There's still a long way to go. The total cost of the program in year one is $20,000, so were about halfway there...."
School districts in the region have reported that at least half of their lunch programs have children on free or reduced-price meals.
Pokrandt says more information on the effort is at feedourruralkids.org
