HOLLAND, Mich. — Kids Food Basket is expanding in Ottawa and Allegan counties. Organizers announced the Feeding Our Future campaign in Ottawa and Allegan counties. It’s a $2.5 million campaign that allows the purchase of a new facility. It also will provide services to six new schools in both counties.
“Often times in a community, we don’t see the challenges many of our families face,” said Afton DeVos, the charity’s chief operating officer, “Food insecurity is one of those hidden barriers of success for our community’s kids. We know food has the power to change their lives.”
The new facility is located at 652 Hastings Avenue in Holland. DeVos says the Ottawa County building’s proximity to Allegan county will help Kids Food Basket meet their goals. That goal is to feed 11,000 children who have been identified as “food insecure” in those areas.
“Right now we serve about 1,100 hundred sack suppers a day,” said Pam Vanderkamp, Kids Food Basket volunteer and Feeding Pour Futures Campaign co-chair, “There’s about 11,000 students that are food insecure, so the larger building will allow us to grow our program and impact those kids.”
The non-profit gives free sack dinners to students at 50 schools in West Michigan. Six schools are on the waiting list, three in Ottawa county, and three in Allegan. The new location gives Kids Food Basket the space to serve those six schools.
“When the kids know they have a barrier free sack supper every night,” said Vanderkamp, “they’re not worried about ‘where is my next meal coming from? Will I be hungry?’ And when that happens, their test scores go up, and behaviors go down. Their life is just a little more safe.”
Kids Food Basket has been serving West Michigan for 18 years, and working in Ottawa County for 4 years.
The new location in Holland will be working with Lakewood Construction to renovate the facility.
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