The holidays have come upon us already and along with it the season of giving. This year, in partnership with the Utah Food Bank, the Thayne Center for Service and Learning has elected to be involved with the “Utah Food Bank’s BackPack Program.”
The purpose for this year’s project is for members of the community to, “help fill a backpack for hungry children,” a call to arms that coincides with the upcoming end of school and the coinciding holiday break.
This break may not seem like a negative thing until one realizes that when a school district closes down for a long period of time, children who have access to only one regular meal per day through their school won’t be eating anything this holiday season.
This is where the Thayne Center comes in. Service can be provided by donating healthy food, specifically non-perishable food, that will provide for the nutritional needs of these children through the winter break.
Some of the food items requested include shelf-stable milk (8 oz), peanut butter (12 oz), fruit cups (small cans with pop tabs), Veggie cups (same), granola bars (healthy types only), boxed juice (6-8 oz), soup (pop tab), tuna (easy to open), cereal (small boxes, healthy varieties), fruit snacks (100% juice only), kid-size applesauce, instant oatmeal packs, crackers, sunflower seeds, raisins, instant breakfast and trail or granola mixes.
Once you have selected which items you would like to provide, it has been requested that these items be placed in a zipper-lock storage bag (quart or gallon size) so that they can be distributed in the backpacks.
To drop off the items that you have to donate, visit the Thayne Center on the Taylorsville Redwood Campus, Student Center Room 020. All donations must be brought by December 15, 2011. For more information on volunteer opportunities and to learn more about the project, contact Linnie Spor at 801-957-4881.
