Jul 30, 2014 3 min read

WAYNESBURG – Empty Bowls of Greene County project coordinator Steven Snow presented a check for $3,663 to Community Foundation of Greene County for the Weekend Food Program Fund. The money was raised through tickets, donations and silent auction bids.

The Empty Bowls project held this past April was conducted by a group of Bonner Scholar students from Waynesburg University, led by Snow, who graduated in May.

The students selected the Greene County Weekend Food Program as their fundraising project. “We wanted to do something that would have a significant impact on the community,” said Snow. “The Weekend Food Program, which helps feed hungry children, was just the right program.”

The funds raised by the Empty Bowls project will be distributed among the five school districts for their programs.

Bettie Stammerjohn, executive director of CFGC noted, “The caliber and quality of the Empty Bowls project and all the students who participated in making it happen is so impressive.

“Their efforts, and those of the community who supported the project, have really made a difference for the Weekend Food Program, raising about 15 percent of what is needed for the 2014/2015 program.”

All of the funds raised through the Empty Bowls event will go to purchase food for the Weekend Food Program.

The Weekend Food Program provides a packet of child-friendly food items to help supplement weekend meals for a small number of students who are selected by the school social workers, food service staff and/or other teachers and administrators, based up family circumstances and need.

The program, which started in 2012 serving about 36 children in two schools, now provides 140 weekend food packs each week across all five school districts.

A weekend food package costs an average of $5 per child each week, or about $195 per child for a full school year.

Each school district runs its program with food purchased through their food service program. The non perishable food is packed each week into grocery type bags which are then distributed to the children by a teacher or social worker.

The packs are usually put into the child’s own backpack to take home.

The Greene County Weekend Food Program (also known as a backpack program) exists because of the Greene County Food Security Partnership, a broad community collaboration to address food security needs in Greene County.

As the fiscal agent for Weekend Food programs, Community Foundation of Greene County is able to receive contributions for the program.

The contributions are distributed to the school districts as grants, to provide the food for distribution.

More information about the Weekend Food Program can be found on the Greene County Food Security Partnership website, http://greenefoodpartnership.org/get-help/backpack-program/ or call CFGC at 724-627-2010.