Connecting Kids to Meals has recently completed a $40,000 remodel of its Walk-In Refrigeration thanks in part to the generosity of local donors. The need for this critical upgrade in equipment grows significantly in the coming months as the number of meals the non-profit provides over the summer increases dramatically.
The extensive remodel and upgrade of the Walk-in Refrigeration enables Connecting Kids to Meals to continue to fulfill its mission of providing healthy meals at no cost to at-risk kids in low-income and underserved areas of our community. The hunger-relief organization has been feeding hungry kids for 18 years and last year served more than 875,000 meals.
“We are so grateful to our funders who have stepped up to help us with this remodel to ensure that our thousands of milk cartons and other cold food items that we distribute daily, stay cold. As we enter into our busiest season – the summer months – we expect to see more kids outside and active. Assuring access to well-balanced meals for kids when they are already challenged in so many ways – especially as we’ve experienced over this past year – is critical,” stated Wendi Huntley, president, Connecting Kids to Meals.
This project involved several local organizations that are committed to the health and wellbeing of our most precious asset – our kids and youth. The generosity of the Owens Corning Foundation, Mercy Health, Fifth Third Bank, Jewish Federation and Foundation of Greater Toledo and the Anderson Foundation made this necessary upgrade possible.
“Connecting Kids to Meals fulfills an essential need in our community – providing nutritious meals for children who might otherwise go hungry,” said Owens Corning Foundation President Don Rettig. “We were eager to help to ensure that this important work continues so that no child goes hungry in our community.”
As the community continues to navigate through and out of the COVID-19 pandemic, Connecting Kids to Meals expects the daily meal counts the organization provides to be about 7,000 per day this summer. The agency collaborates with a wide array of partners who provide educational and enrichment programming for kids in our area. With about 60,000 kids qualifying for free or reduced meals at school (meaning the families live near or below the poverty level), when school is out, Connecting Kids to Meals becomes the largest provider of healthy meals to kids in our area.
Connecting Kids to Meals has been feeding hungry at-risk kids for 18 years. Some of the trusted partners where meals are served include schools, libraries, churches, community centers, and other locations where kids gather during out-of-school time. Connecting Kids to Meals has served more than 7 million meals to kids. To learn more about CKM visit https://www.connectingkidstomeals.org/. Contact – Wendi Huntley – 419-720-1106 – Wendi@ConnectingKidsToMeals.org