We are a 501(c)(3) consisting of a board of volunteers with no paid employees. 50% of our members are retired. We have had our nonprofit status since 2012 but have been providing food to children in our local elementary schools since 2009. These children have little to nothing to eat during evenings and weekends while they are at home. We have been providing approximately 160 children each month with food-only gift cards. These gift cards allow their families to purchase food that will not only feed the child but also feed other children in the family.
At the beginning of the school year, we contact the schools, and they provide us with the number of students who are in need of assistance. The schools contact the parents of these students, asking them if they are interested in this program.
The first week that they receive the gift card, we provide them with a four-week food purchase program where they can see what they can purchase each week to ensure that they have nourishing food for the children and make the gift card last.
We do not know, nor do we want to know, who these students are. We want to maintain their privacy. School educators provide us with information stating how the children in our program are progressing with their school work now that they can concentrate on their studies instead of if they are going to have food to eat at home. We spend $37,000 a year on these food-only gift cards. Whereas we are all volunteers, the only other expenses we have are for office supplies, maintaining our nonprofit licensing, and fundraising expenses.
