3 Easy Ways to Help Feed Hungry Kids in our Community!

Many thanks to the donors, volunteers, and other supporters who helped Kidz LunchBox 2018 provide almost 9000 meals to kids this summer – and also donate over 1200 weekend backpacks to schools in Butler County, to fill gaps in the KS Food Bank’s Food4Kids program (which only operates during the school year).

We have already started planning Kidz LunchBox 2019. Here are some easy ways you could help KN2E raise the funding needed for next summer’s meals.

1. Dillons Food Stores CommunityRewards program – support a local charity every time you shop and use your Shopper’s Plus Card. 

• To enroll: visit dillons.com/communityrewards,
• sign into your online account or create an account, scroll down to find your location and click “Enroll Now”, then find and select our organization (“Kids Need To Eat”), or enter our number UB782.

2.  AmazonSmile Foundation. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. 

• Start your shopping at http://smile.amazon.com/ch/46-1803529 or visit smile.amazon.com and search for Kids Need To Eat, Inc.
  
• Bookmark this link http://smile.amazon.com/ch/46-1803529, and AmazonSmile donates 0.5% of the purchase price when you shop online.
• Then ask others to bookmark this link so all their eligible shopping will benefit Kids Need To Eat, too.

3.  Make a cash donation to Kids Need To Eat (KN2E) online or by mailing a check. CLICK HERE for details.

 

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Many thanks to our awesome donors, partners & supporters!

KIDZ SUMMER LUNCHBOX 2018

2018 Champions ($2500 +)

• Cox of Kansas Community Investment
• First Christian Church Foundation
• George Trimble Special Needs Charitable Fund
• United Way of El Dorado

 2018 Patrons ($1000 + )

• El Dorado Charities Auxiliary
• Kansas Health Foundation Fund – El Dorado
• Peter & Judie Storandt

2018 Advocates ($500 + )

• Butler Rural Electric Coop – Operation Round Up
• Dillon Stores Contribution Committee
• El Dorado Building Systems
• First Christian Church, Christian Women’s Fellowship
• Kids FUNd, Central KS Community Foundation
• K.T. Wiedemann Children’s Fund of Butler County
• Reaching Out From Within, EDCF Inmates
• Sophia Berman Molk Foundation
• Walmart of El Dorado

2018 Promoters ($250 + )

• First Baptist Church, Backpack Ministry 
• Grace Lutheran Church, Care Committee

2018 Supporters ($100 + )

• Carlson-Kirby Morris Funeral Home
• Casey’s General Stores
• Crazy Quilters Guild
• Emprise Bank, El Dorado
• First Presbyterian Church
• Kendra Wilkinson
• Kurt & Michelle Spivey
• Lynn & Karen McBride
• Sherry L. Clymer
• Soroptimist of El Dorado
• Stanfield Roofing

2018 IN KIND DONATIONS

• 4Imprint.com
• Alpha Delta Kappa of Butler County
• AmeriGroup
• BG Products
• Butler Community College
• Charley’s Appliances
• Commerce Bank
• El Dorado Parks & Recreation
• El Dorado Chamber of Commerce
• El Dorado Correctional Facility
• Family Worship Center, El Dorado
• First Baptist Church
• First Christian Church
• First Presbyterian Church
• GIV Warehouse
• Mark & Beverly Somerville
• Mears Fertilizer
• Soroptimist El Dorado
• Sunlight Children’s Advocacy & Rights Foundation  (SCARF)
• Trinity United Methodist Church
• United Way of El Dorado
• USD 490, El Dorado Schools
• YMCA – El Dorado
  

 

 

Free Summer Meals continue through August 10 in El Dorado

Kidz Summer LunchBox provides free healthy lunches weekdays at 7 meal sites in El Dorado. The last day is Friday, August 10. Prize drawings for bicycles take place later that day.

The GLOW Bus – a green school bus converted into a mobile lunchroom – takes lunches to six locations. After eating lunch on the Bus, kids are offered take home foods – including weekend backpacks on Fridays. Diapers also are available for children who eat.

In addition to six Bus stops, kids may eat in a traditional lunch room at the Family Worship Center (FWC), 11:30 am – 12:30 pm. Parents, foster parents and other caretakers are welcome to eat lunch with the children they bring.

Wednesday is Free Book Day at Bus Stops – Mondays at the FWC. Spangles lunches are on the menu on Tuesdays.

GLOW Bus Stops

• 10:45 am – 11:15 am: Silverwood Apts.
• 11:30 am – noon:       Skelly Elem. School (west side on S. Arthur St.)
• 12:10 pm – 12:40 pm: Quail Ridge Apts.
• 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm:    Summit Park
• 1:45 pm – 2:15 pm:    Splash Park (North Main Park), on E. 8^th
• 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm: Forest Park (swimming pool), on W. 8^th

For more information visit KN2E.org, or call 316-833-9959.

 

Kids eat a free Lunch at summer meal sites in El Dorado!

Lunch tickets are given to kids each day – the tickets go into a drawing for prizes this summer.

• July 20:  3 gift certificate winners ($25, $20 & $15).
• August 10: two winners get a bicycle appropriate for their age ($100 maximum value with helmet).

• Monday is Parents Day – they may eat with their kids. 
• Monday also is Free Book Day.
• Spangles Tuesdays – kids eat a sandwich from Spangles.
• Fridays kids offered a weekend foodpack to take home.

Kidz LunchBox Kickoff Celebration

Kids Need to Eat (KN2E) invites families with kids ages 18 and under in El Dorado to enjoy a fun family-friendly LunchBox Kickoff!

• What:  Kidz Summer LunchBox 2018 – Kickoff Celebration
• When:  Saturday, June 30, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
• Where:  Family Worship Center, 701 S. Atchison

Come join us to enjoy the following!

• Free lunch
• Inflatable Obstacle Race Course
• D.J. with music and a sing along
• Food Fun activities – Tasting Tables, Nutrition Trivia, and a “Grocery Bag Walk”
• For preschoolers: water games, mini obstacle course, and crafts.
• Outdoor activities and games
• Ice Cream
• Face Painting
• Tour our GLOW Box
• Prizes
• Take Home Items
• Summer Safety resources

QUESTIONS?

• Call or text 316-833-9959

 

 

Volunteers needed to feed kids this summer!

Looking for something meaningful and fun to do this summer? Maybe something you could do with your children or grandchildren – or with your church group, civic group, co-workers, family and friends?

Kidz LunchBox 2018 needs volunteers to help feed kids this summer – to replace meals many kids eat for free at school. Children ages 1 – 18 are invited to enjoy a lunch with us at 7 meal sides, and then take home breakfast and snack foods. On Fridays kids take home extra foods for the weekend.

The LunchBox 2018 will feed children weekdays for six weeks, July 2 – August 10, at seven meal sites in El Dorado (listed below):

• six served by the GLOW Bus, and
• a walk-in meal site at the Family Worship Center (FWC).

Volunteers can sign up on a one-time basis, or as frequently as their time and energy permit. Civic and social organizations, youth groups and clubs, and co-workers and others are welcome to volunteer together. Adult volunteers are encouraged to bring children and grandchildren ages 13 and older.

To submit a Volunteer Registration Form, CLICK HERE.  The deadline to apply is June 16.

NEW THIS SUMMER!!

Kidz LunchBox 2018 Kickoff Celebration —–   A free family-fun day to publicize Kidz LunchBox meal sites, and to share ways to have a safe and successful summer (eat smart, move more & avoid danger).

FRESH MEALS MONDAYS

To add variety to the shelf-stable meals served Tuesday – Friday, kids will enjoy fresh foods for lunch on Mondays – including fresh fruit (e.g., a bag of grapes), fresh veggies (e.g., sliced cucumbers), and a fresh sub sandwich or wrap with meat and cheese.

• We need volunteers to help prepare the lunches on Monday mornings (9:30 am – 11:30 am) at the Family Worship Center.

QUESTIONS?

Call or text Judie at 405-308-9158, connect with us on Facebook – “Kids Need 2 Eat” and “Kidz LunchBox.”

MEAL SITES

Meal site	Volunteer shift	Food service
Silverwood Apts.  [GLOW Bus stop]	10:55 – 11:15 am	10:30 – 11:30 am
Skelly Elem. School [GLOW Bus stop]	11:15 am – 12:15 pm	11:30am – noon
Family Worship Center [walk in meal site]	11:15 am – 12:45 pm	11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Quail Ridge Apts. [GLOW Bus stop]	noon – 12:55 pm	12:10 – 12:40 pm
Summit Park [GLOW Bus stop]	12:45 – 1:45 pm	1:00 – 1:30 pm
Water Park (North Main Park) [GLOW Bus]	1:30 – 2:30 pm	1:45 – 2:15 pm
Forest Park (swimming pool) [GLOW Bus]	2:15 – 3:15 pm	2:30 – 3:00 pm

VISTA Summer Positions

KN2E has two 35-hours a week opportunities in El Dorado for HS graduates. These positions are ideal for those ages 18-24 looking for summer employment. Benefits include a living stipend and education award. The deadline to apply is May 7 has been extended to May 10.

VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) – the domestic equivalent to the Peace Corps – is a national service program sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service to combat poverty in America.

• VISTA flyer – KN2E job opportunities

The summer VISTA program is an opportunity to work for 10 weeks at meal sites offering free meals for children during the summer. This summer, KN2E is sponsoring two VISTA positions:

• VISTA LunchBox Operations Coordinator (position description)
• VISTA Mobile LunchBox Coordinator (position description)

In exchange for their commitment to serve full time for a defined period of time, AmeriCorps gives each VISTA a daily living allowance (total of 70 days for the summer 10-weeks program). In addition, after completing their service, VISTAs have the option of receiving a $1,250 Education Award. A weekly Gas Allowance is available to drive to our El Dorado work sites.

Information about the VISTA program and how to apply to be a VISTA is online: https://www.vistacampus.gov/how-apply-americorps-vista.

The KN2E VISTA positions are 7-hour shifts weekdays. VISTAs filling these positions are allowed to have other time part employment that doesn’t interfere with their VISTA responsibilities.

Activity descriptions for the KN2E VISTA positions are on the AmeriCorps portal: my.americorps.gov. 

Interested individuals are encouraged to contact WSU for more information:

• Meeka Gentry, VISTA Leader, WSU Community Engagement Institute, 316-978-6502, 316-779-4049 (cell), meeka.gentry@wichita.edu

The deadline to apply now is May 10. Applicants must be at least 18 years old by June 1, 2018 to be eligible, and have a H.S. diploma o GED.