Drive to Feed Kids 2024

On Friday, August 9th, 2024, J.D. Heiskell & Co. and Nutra Blend are teaming up in support of the Drive to Feed Kids campaign to host a dinner and live auction to raise funds for the Tulare County SmartPack program. We are asking for your support to join the effort by becoming a table sponsor of the August 9th event. The event will be held at the T.D.E.S. Hall, 515 N I St, Tulare, CA 93274. Social hour starts at 6:00 p.m. and dinner starts at 7:00 p.m. with the auction to follow. Many Tulare County children are at risk for hunger and lifelong health consequences; prior to the pandemic, 26 percent of children lived in poverty, and 25.7 percent experienced food insecurity, but those numbers have almost doubled in the last year. In Tulare county schools, statistics show that 17 percent of children regularly ask the teachers for food, 15 percent regularly hoard or save food for later, 20 percent regularly make comments that there is not enough food at home and 29 percent visit the nurse’s office for hunger related complaints.

Tulare County FoodLink’s SmartPack program addresses several of these hunger challenges by providing a supply of nutritious meals and snacks for children over the weekend. They work closely with school administration, food service and school health staff to ensure that the SmartPack program helps those children in need. When the Tulare County SmartPack program gets back into full swing this fall, it will reach 1,378 school-age children at 14 school sites and provide SmartPacks through the summer at seven child development sites. School nurses, food service directors and school staff appreciate the partnership and the food resources that the students receive. The SmartPack program is entirely supported by community donations, and with your support the program can reach more children at additional schools. These are certainly difficult times for so many people, and your support is needed now more than ever. Please join your community members in donating to FoodLink of Tulare County.

Thank you for your continued support of our Tulare County children.