Weekend snackpac project

It's hard to learn when you are hungry!

To help provide students with the nutritional building blocks they need to thrive in the classroom, qualifying students in Woodford County receive free or reduced school lunches.

But what about the weekends?

Those same students are also at risk of not getting enough to eat on weekends.  That's the purpose of the Weekend Snackpac Project.  The WSP helps provide food for qualifying students on the weekends by providing a free sack lunch.

How does it work?

Step 1: Parent(s)/Guardian(s) of students that qualify for free and reduced lunches are sent information on the WSP.  If they wish to participate, they simply let the school known.

Step 2:  People from area churches/organizations create a school support team.  That team gathers regularly to prepare weekend Snackpacs for students.  Contents vary from school to school but included in each one are food items that balance nutrition with accessibility (i.e. a student can prepare the food him or herself).

Step 3:  Each Friday morning, someone from the school support team delivers the Snackpacs to the school.

Step 4:  Teachers will put the Snackpacs into the backpacks of the students in their classroom while their class is at gym or recess.

Step 5:  Students take the Snackpacs home and enjoy them over the weekend.

There are three ways you can help with WSP!  

One, you can pray for each and every student in your local school district.  The challenges facing young people go beyond the need for food.  Each student in your district could use prayer support.  And...don't forget the teachers and support staff...they could use prayer too.

Two, you can donate funds to help pay for the food. Because the items in the Snackpacs are different for each school and chosen specifically for the balance between nutrition and accessibility, it makes it difficult to accept donations of food items.  At the same time, because each team uses the same items each month, we are able to negotiate discounts from area grocers such that we can buy food more cheaply. That makes monetary donations the best stewardship option - i.e. your dollar will go farther.  (online donation option coming soon)

Three, you can volunteer your time to help prepare and deliver the Snackpacs.  Many hands make light work.  If you would like to help put Snackpacs together, that is awesome.   This is also an excellent service project for families.

current schools/preschools with weekend snackpac projects

Jefferson Elementary & Centennial Middle School, El Paso

Metamora Grade School, Jr. High and High School

Germantown Hills Elementary

Riverview Elementary

LowPoint-Washburn Elementary and Middle Schools

Davenport Grade school,  Eureka

Goodfield Grade school

Sowers Elementary, Roanoke

Minier Olympia Elementary, Minier

Tremont Elementary

Washington Schools (Lincoln, Central)

Morton Schools (Grundy Grade school, Lincoln Elementary, Jefferson Elementary, Lette Brown)

East Peoria Schools (Shute, Lincoln, Wilson)

Mossville Elementary

Olympia North, Danvers, IL

Bradford Elementary School, Bradford, IL

Open Arms Food Pantry (preschoolers)

Eureka Food Pantry (preschoolers)

Glen Oak Learning Center, Peoria, IL

If  your school is listed, please contact the school office to find out how to sign up!  

If your school is not listed, please contact Jan Unzicker to see how to get WSP in your school!

Volunteer or Give

For further information about donations or volunteering, please contact Jan Unzicker at 309.208.4908