Residents and volunteers from Bell Tower Residence Assisted Living in Merrill recently began packing backpacks full of food that selected children in Kate Goodrich Elementary will take home on weekends.
Merrill’s “Food For Kids” program provides non-perishable food to children in need to take home and eat when school meals aren’t available to them, such as weekends and school vacations. All of the Merrill public elementary schools are participating and a grant is being written to include St. Francis grade school.
The program is sponsored by the Merrill Area Salvation Army in partnership with the Community Food Pantry and St. Vincent de Paul of Merrill. Similar programs exist throughout the United States.
Children are chosen by school staff and there is no fee to participate. Parents sign a permission slip and children can enter the program at any time.
Bell Tower Residence Assisted Living is one of four volunteer groups that pack backpacks full of food each month. Foods include single-serving size items such as juice boxes, cereal, dehydrated fruit, fruit cups, macaroni and cheese, ravioli, pretzels, granola bars, fruit snacks, raisins, peanut butter crackers and pudding.
Chaplain Mary Pat Campbell, who is organizing the packing project at Bell Tower Residence said, “Our goal is to connect the residents who live here with the needs of the greater community. It’s one way that we can live out Bell Tower Residence’s core values of community, compassion, respect and excellence.”