United Way program attracts 12 businesses to help feed kids
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Catching a fish for the first time. Playing catch with dad or grandpa. Playing hair stylist with a Barbie doll. These are childhood memories many people cherish.
Going hungry every weekend isn’t one of those favorite memories, but some kids in Howard County face that reality. Fortunately, United Way Serving Howard and Tipton Counties has been fighting hunger for several years through its Buddy Bags program.
The start of the school year means Buddy Bags is back online and sending food home with a few hundred children every weekend. According to United Way CEO Dana Neer, serving these families will be easier this year with the addition of several generous and helpful businesses.
“We have 12 businesses that signed up to serve this year,” said Neer, which is an improvement over the eight regular contributors from last school year. The increased community investment could result in expanding the program, he said.
Currently, more than 300 students across the county receive Buddy Bags filled with ramen, milk, pudding, pork and beans, and other foods at a cost of about $90,000 a year. With the additional contributors – and a successful United Way campaign in 2024 – it soon could be possible to expand the program.
“We're not serving all of our Kokomo Schools right now,” said Neer. “We want to get them and raise the money. To add more schools in Kokomo, Tipton, and Tri-Central, we have to be able to raise the funding and be able to sustain it.
“There are always more needs than we can meet. We serve 50 kids in each school who need Buddy Bags, but what about the 51st kid?”
Part of the hope fueling Buddy Bags is that by helping defray food costs for at-risk families, they might be able to focus their attention and resources on improving their financial situation. Perhaps some families will no longer need Buddy Bags as a result, meaning another family can receive the same opportunity.
“Those are the stories we want to share with our community,” said Neer. “These families no longer need us? That's victory! We don't take pleasure in just supporting a family perpetually. We want to be a catalyst for change. We want to make sure children’s physical needs are met over the weekend.”
While volunteers are up with the Buddy Bags program, there is always room for more help. The Rotary Club and Community Howard Regional Health are recent additions to the list of volunteers. And StarPlus Energy has expressed an interest in underwriting a portion of the cost along with providing volunteers.
More kids fed. More room for memories a child would want to have. And all it takes is a little time or a little treasure. To help United Way Serving Howard and Tipton Counties provide food through the Buddy Bags program, call 765-457-4357.
United Way fights for the education, financial stability, health and basic needs of everyone in our community. For more information, visit www.howardandtiptonunitedway.org.