Buddy Boxes

Many children who qualify for free lunch or reduced fee lunch at their schools have little to eat at home and return to school after weekends distracted by their hunger and unable to focus on learning.

Family Mentor Foundation’s goal is to bridge the gap; to send these kids home with a Buddy Box every Friday during the school year to alleviate their hunger. A Buddy Box is a box filled with kid-friendly, nutritious, nonperishable, individual sized-food items that are easy for children to eat or prepare on their own. These meals and snacks help sustain the children on the weekends when they are not in school.

Programs

Summer Feeding Program

Family Mentor Foundation modeled its summer feeding program after the Buddy Box program currently used in schools. The difference is that instead of partnering with schools, FMF partnered with open feeding sites to distribute the weekend boxes.