Dunnellon Food4Kids, Inc.

nellon Project Backpack Food-4-Kids" became First United Methodist, Holy Faith Episcopal House of Jacob, Romeo Baptist and Springs Presbyterian churches. In July 2006, The Women's Club of Dunnellon Joined the Group. Dunnellon Food-4-Kids, Inc. was patterned after a similar program that started several years earlier in Arkansas. Due to the generosity of the Dunnellon and Ocala Hwy 200 Walmart stores, "Food-4-Kids" became a reality in January 2006. In June 2007, Articles of Incorporation were filed with the State of Florida as a Non-Profit Corporation renamed Dunnellon Food-4-Kids, Inc. The Internal Revenue Service approved the Corporation as a non-profit 501(c)(3) charity. Donations are tax deductible. The hungry children we serve are identified by the schools using the Marion County Free and Reduced Meal program criteria. Information about these families and children are retained solely by the schools, preserving the dignity of these hungry children. We are aware of no other program in the Dunnellon area delivering a similar program. Each Thursday of the school year, volunteers pack backpacks with enough food to provide three meals for Saturday and Sunday for each needy school child and their siblings. Volunteers deliver the full backpacks to the three schools for the children to take home for the weekend. The following Tuesday volunteers pick up the empty backpacks from the schools and return them to the pantry. This process is repeated each week school is in session. During the winter break, we provide a $10 food gift card to be used during the break. All paper, cardboard and corrugated cardboard packaging is recycled. All the backpacks are packed with canned ravioli/pasta, canned tuna, canned vienna sausage, boxed macaroni and cheese, ramen noodles, milk powder, individual boxes of cold cereal, and dry juice packs. On alternate weeks the backpacks are also packed with animal crackers, pudding cups, apple sauce cups and cereal bars or fruit cups, peanut butter crackers, toaster pastries and miscellaneous snacks. On seven weekends all the backpacks are supplemented with peanut butter and jelly. On five weekends all the backpacks receive 2 pound bags of rice. On five weekends backpacks for families of 4 or more school children receive additional peanut butter and jelly. Other suitable donated food items received are also used. The program is funded by voluntary contributions of money and food from community churches, civic organizations, individuals and fundraiser events. In 2012 we began to seek grant funding. We received grants of $4,000 in 2012 and 2013 from the Walmart local grants program. More than 99% of the funding we receive is spent for food for hungry school children.

100% of the program activities, fund raising activities and support, including board officers and members, are run by volunteers from six community churches, two civic organizations, a representative of the Chatmire Community, and unaffiliated volunteers.