By Julie Tomascik
Editor
Hale County Farm Bureau recently donated $2,250 to Snack Pack 4 Kids in Planview with the help of Texas Farm Bureau’s Helping Hands co-op contribution program.
“Snack Pak 4 Kids is a great organization,” Justin Stoerner, Hale County Fam Bureau president, said. “The schools identify kids who many not be getting all the nutrition they need and may be going hungry on the weekends without school meals. Then, the bags from Snack Pak 4 Kids are distributed to those students on Friday.”
Snack Pak 4 Kids provides food for the weekend to more than 10,000 students across 51 school districts. The organization partners with many agricultural entities in the Panhandle to provide the students with nutritious food.
Each snack pak includes 14 non-perishable foods.
The Plainview Snack Pak 4 Kids, which is the group Hale County Farm Bureau donated to, distributes about 600 bags per week across 10 schools.
“The program is run by hard-working volunteers, and the program even sources some of its products from farmers and ranchers in the area,” Stoerner said. “But most importantly, it’s ensuring these kids have food to eat on the weekends. That helps the kids worry less about where a meal is coming from and helps them have energy to focus and learn in the classroom.”
Stoerner noted the COVID-19 pandemic increased the demand for snack paks.
“We didn’t get affected as much as others by the winter storm, but since the start of the pandemic, they’ve noticed an increase in kids who need the extra food,” Stoerner said.
Hale County Farm Bureau board of directors also helped pack the bags.
“The volunteers help pack the bags and get everything ready for the students. It was an enjoyable experience to help the volunteers assemble the bags, and we brought our kids along to help, too,” Stoerner said.