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As school buildings continue to be closed in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Spring Lake Park Schools has been feeding children through meal distribution at 10 sites throughout the community. During the Friday meal distribution, the Spring Lake Park Schools Panther Foundation has provided more than 1,600 Weekend Food Packs to families over the last several weeks.
“We know this is a challenging time for so many people in our community,” says Panther Foundation Executive Director Colleen Pederson. “The Panther Foundation has been committed, now more than ever, to providing a Weekend Food Pack to every family that takes part in the COVID-19 meal service program in our community.”
The Weekend Food Packs program began in 2013 after the annual Panther Foundation Gala’s Fund-a-Dream program raised more than $31,000 for the cause. The program’s main objective is to make sure children don’t go hungry when school is not in session – like over weekends and school breaks. The program provides packs filled with items that are easy to prepare, require no other ingredients and are nourishing.
“Many people have come forward during this time asking how they can help,” says Colleen. “We expect there to be growing need for food packs in the coming weeks, and we are hopeful we will be able to continue to augment the meal service the district is delivering and provide weekend food packs for families as long as this crisis exists.”
Weekend Food Packs are made possible through the generosity of Panther Foundation supporters. For those interested in supporting the continuation of this work, donations to the Foundation can be made online.