The city of Plano hosted a peanut butter drive last fall for Food 4 Kids Plano.[/caption]
Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiliere started the program in 2014.[/caption]
No one wants to see a child go hungry. That is why North Texas Food Bank’s Food 4 Kids Plano program is asking the community to help to collect 10,000 pounds of peanut butter during Hunger Action Month in September.
“You can donate other canned goods and nonperishables, but we are focusing on peanut butter because it’s a healthy protein that’s easy to distribute and it’s something that kids enjoy,” Senior Communications Manager Anna Kurian said.
Kurian said the mission of the Food 4 Kids Plano program is simple: Eliminate child hunger by delivering weekend backpacks filled with food that provides 60 percent of a child’s nutritional needs on any given weekend. According to the North Texas Food Bank, 1 in 5 children in Collin County are food insecure, meaning they might be struggling to find their next meal.
In 2014, Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiliere led the charge in a communitywide effort to ensure that was not the case for children in Plano. The mayor challenged local businesses, community and faith organizations and citizens to donate $1 million to cover costs to kick off the Food 4 Kids Plano program.
Out of more than 7,000 Plano ISD’s early childhood and elementary students eligible for free and reduced lunch, teachers and counselors identified 1,400 students as food insecure. All of these students receive weekend backpacks with nutritional food during the school year.
“It may come as a surprise, but hunger is a reality for a number of families in Plano,” LaRosiliere said. “Food 4 Kids provides our children with the most fundamental need we have–simple nourishment. We’re not only feeding stomachs but hearts, minds and souls.”
Corporations, individuals, churches and community organizations are encouraged to give money, time and talents to help Food 4 Kids families in need. The benefits of the program also extend to the schools that participate.
A volunteer day is set for Sept. 17. For information and drop off locations, visit www.ntfb.org/planokids.
