Tiger Packs

Website: https://ahrensfamilyfoundation.org/partner-program-funds/

Related: Ahrens Foundation

Mission: Tiger Packs is an initiative to combat hunger in the Grinnell-Newburg School District. Eligible K-8 students receive a weekly bag of kid-friendly, nutritious food to take home on the weekends while the high school students have access to a food pantry with a variety of healthy snacks and takeaway meals.

Location: Grinnell

Needs: Starting in September each school year, volunteers are needed every other week to package 2 weeks of Tiger Packs.  Assistance is also sometimes needed to distribute Tiger Packs to the schools.

 

Volunteers:

When is service needed: Volunteers are needed during the school year, starting in September

Number of hours: 1-2 hours/week, every other week, as the volunteer is available (no requirement to attend every packaging session, all assistance is appreciated)

Modality:  in-person only

 

How to apply: Sign-Up Genius link coming, if the sign-up genius link is not available or you have any questions, please contact Jennifer at jennifer@ahrensfamilyfoundation.org

Contact: Jennifer Cogley, Ahrens Foundation, 641-236-5518, ext. 109, jennifer@ahrensfamilyfoundation.org

 

Operation information: Tiger Packs was established in 2013 as a pilot program at Bailey Park Elementary with just 12 students, and the program has expanded to serve over 200 students from five area schools. Our numbers continue to grow as registration forms are now included with school enrollment materials. Any student who receives free or reduced lunch is automatically eligible, but students who have been identified as food insecure by school personnel may also participate. Tiger Packs touches a variety of community issues, particularly the link between nutrition, education, and poverty. Children who do not get enough healthy food to eat have greater difficulty concentrating in school, which leads to decreased performance. Tiger Packs is an important program because it not only combats a direct need with a short-term solution (feeding hungry children), but also works to address a fundamental cause of poverty: children who are not focused on their hunger will be better able to concentrate on their learning and will be more likely to perform well in school, continue their education, and break the cycle of poverty.

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