The programme is run by Helpline House during the school holidays and aims to support families who normally rely on free or subsidised school meals.
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. — Hundreds of volunteers are working at the Bainbridge Island Food Bank to make sure children receive nutritious food over the summer.
Summer vacation can be a difficult time for families, as children do not receive free or subsidized meals at school.
Helpline House, a social service provider on Bainbridge Island, plans to distribute hundreds of bags of food to children this summer through its Kids Pantry program, run in partnership with the Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island.
“There are so many other things to worry about and think about. Children’s nutrition and access to food should not be one of them,” said Maria Metzler, executive director of Helpline House.
Bags can be picked up at the Helpline House, located at 282 Knechtel Way NE on Bainbridge Island, weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., except on Wednesdays, when the store is closed.
Any Bainbridge Island resident can visit the Helpline House to pick up food and receive one “Kids Pantry Bag” per child per week. The program runs any time during school holidays.
Each bag contains 5 days’ worth of breakfast, 5 days’ worth of lunch, 2 snacks per day, and fruits and vegetables.
During the 2023 school holidays, the organization provided approximately 900 “Kids Pantry Bags” to families in the area.
The executive director of Helpline House said there had been a 26 percent increase in the need for food aid last year.
Volunteers said the rising cost of living and rising food prices have forced many people to come to the food bank for the first time in their lives.
“With food costs going up, they say they don’t know how they would manage without the resources of the food bank,” said Joan Spencer, a volunteer at Helpline House.
If parents are unable to visit Helpline House to pick up their “Kids Pantry Bag,” they can contact Helpline House to have food delivered through their partnership with the Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island.
Rotary clubs are delivering bags of food to families without transportation and also delivering groceries to food banks for packaging.
“They need food,” said Paul Tice, a volunteer at Helpline House. “These kids are not getting enough to eat.”
Helpline House says the increased need in the community has led to increased costs for the food bank, so if you want to help them you can donate on their website, donate food at a local grocery store that has a dropbox, set up a food drive, or donate food directly to Helpline House.
How You Can Help
KING 5 and Northwest Harvest have partnered with Safeway and the Seattle Seahawks to present Home Team Summer, which aims to raise awareness and support school-age children who experience food insecurity during the summer.
To donate online through Northwest Harvest between now and the end of summer, click here.
KING 5 will also be hosting a food drive at Seahawks Football Fest on August 3 at Lumen Field. Join KING 5, Northwest Harvest, Safeway and the Seahawks in donating non-perishable food items to help support child hunger. More information on Football Fest can be found here.
