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The Buddy Pack program provides meals for thousands of children during the school year.
COLUMBIA- Assistance League of Mid-Missouri held a food drive for the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri’s Buddy Pack program Wednesday at Upscale Resale.
The Buddy Pack program provides nutritional food for food insecure children on the weekends, when children are unable to be in school for discounted meals.
The Communication and Marketing Coordinator for the Food Bank, Seth Wolfmeyer, said this program provides meals for thousands of children during the school year.
“The Buddy Pack program serves around 7,500 kids on a yearly basis,” Wolfmeyer said. “Every week we provide them with a pack that they can take home to eat over the weekend when they don’t have access to school provided meals.”
While this drive isn’t the only means for how the Food Bank is provided with Buddy Pack donations, the number of donations they receive from this drive helps strengthen the program to keep it going.
Deb Gerecke, Vice President of Marketing Communications for the Assistance League of Mid-Missouri, said she was happy with the turnout.
“So far we’ve had a good turnout as of 12:30 p.m.,” Gerecke said. “People have been very responsive. We’ve got around two and a half barrels full, and there have also been a lot of monetary donations.”
One donor, Tom Rafiner, said donating now is especially important.
“I think when you give to the Food Bank and the Buddy Pack program, it feels like its an opportunity to feel like you are a part of the community,” Rafiner said. “Particularly, in these hard times it is important to help those in need. I think this program is the central core for how we provide for our community.”
The drive will continue through Feb. 27, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., where donors can continue to drop of food or monetary donations. Most needed items include canned meat, canned fruits and vegetables, beans, rice, cereal, peanut butter, soup and pasta.
