SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. — The Marysville Community Foodbank just got a substantial donation for their “Food For Thought” program.
The Backpack Program was started in 2012 to help children with a high risk of food insecurity. Marysville School District's 2016 statistics show that 54% of elementary students use free or reduced cost meals. "Food For Thought's" Backpack Program is currently working with elementary school counselors to provide these students with weekend meals.
“With this donation we are gonna be able to get to the end of the current school year,” said Jim Beaudoin, Executive Director of Marysville Community Food Bank. “To see people from the community doing something like this for the community is as big as the financial donation.”
The Food Bank is extra prideful as the recent recipient of a “local giving circle.” The donation is courtesy of a group of women from Snohomish County that awards funds to deserving organization.
100+ Women Who Care About Snohomish County has collected and distributed more than $120,000 throughout the county since 2019.
“We started before the Pandemic but we didn’t fade. We grew online and the math just works,” says co-founder Janet Bacon.
The simple math is all about 100.
“We get 100 women to donated 100 dollars and we do it three times a year,” Bacon said.
The group says the impacted of combining resources can make significant impacts on local causes.
100+ Women Who Care About Snohomish County has donated local non-profits like "HAND IN HAND" that serves children and families in crisis.\
Dawson's Place in Everett received over $13,000 for Children’s Advocacy and YWCS Pathways for Women was handed more than $11,000 in the midst of Covid-19 closures.
“What’s important to us is that the money stays right here in the county” said Susan Rieke, co-founder of 100+ Women Who Care About Snohomish County.
The latest giving circle collection came with a corporate match from the Schulz Family Foundation that swelled the donation to more than $18,000.
The Marysville Community Foodbank was chosen for the giving circle donation and will help fight food insecurity for school age kids on the weekend through the "Food For Thought" Backpack Program.
“We started the program with 25 kids at one school and now we have 5/600 kids each week in 21 different schools.” said Amy Howell, assistant director of the food bank.
She said the donation will go to ensure the kids in need will have multiple meals to get them though the weekend when school lunch isn’t available. The generous donors says they are excited to do it all over again in a week.
100+Women Who Care About Snohomish County are having a giving circle gathering on Monday May 2nd at Hotel Indigo in Everett.
“We want more women to join as and see how we can amplify our impact!” said Bacon.