16 kids!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a couple of extra days off to spend some time with family this weekend!  As mentioned last week, we now have 16 kids in the Helping Hands program.  We had a good amount of donations come in last week and were able to take care of all the kids for the four day weekend, and had some left over for this week.  Here is what we need to complete the bags for this week:

Ravioli Cans

Spaghetti O's

fruit cups

crackers

peanut butter 

cereal

granola bars

It's a busy time of year, and we're very grateful for everyone who has managed to fit a donation into their time and budget.  Whether it's every week, or every once in a while, your donations ensure that we will have enough to help feed the little ones in our community each week.  Thank you for all you have done!  Please leave donations at Crystal City Elementary School.

Giving Thanks

Thank you again for coming through for the children of Crystal City!  Last week we received all the donations we needed to send the kids home with enough food for the weekend.  Four more children were added to the program, bringing the total to 16.  It's a huge  blessing to know these kids can count on their community!

That brings us to this week-Thanksgiving week!  It's a short week, and we would like to be able to send them home with enough to get through the long weekend.  We need all donations at the school by Tuesday so that bags can be ready to go on Wednesday at 12:30 when the kids get out of school.  Here are some of the items we need to complete this task:

Individual cereal boxes
Cans of green beans
apples
oranges
raisins
full size peanut butter
full size jelly

Just a reminder, everything donated goes directly to the kids at Crystal City Elementary. 

WOW!!

We are absolutely amazed at the response to last week's posting for Helping Hands! So many people responded to the call to help feed the children of Crystal City.  It was humbling, to say the least, to see how God  has blessed this community with people who are truly willing to step up and help those in need.


Here are donations needed for this week.  This week, all items need to be in by Thursday so that the bags will be ready to be sent home Friday.

In light of the fact that Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and the kids will be out of school for a longer time period, we're posting the list for next week as well. We will send out a reminder next weekend as well.  More children were sent home with applications last week, so the need will likely grow.  

Week of November 14

12 apples
12 easy mac packets
12 sleeves of crackers
12 regular sized peanut butter (sending home every 3 weeks)
12 beefaroni
12 applesauce
12 individual boxes of cereal
12 soup packets (lipton noodle)
12 individual raisin boxes
12 nutragrain cereal bars
12 pudding cups

Week of Nov 21

12 apples
12 oranges
12 easy mac packets
12 sleeves of crackers
12 beefaroni
12 cans of green beans
12 applesauce
12 individual boxes of cereal
24 soup packets (lipton noodle)
12 individual raisin boxes
24 nutragrain cereal bars
12 pudding cups

Donations can be dropped off at Crystal City Elementary School. Thank you!

Welcome!!

Welcome to Helping Hands!  If you've made your way to this page, you've likely heard about Helping Hands of Crystal City Elementary School.  Many of our local children are dependent upon the free and reduced lunch program at school throughout the week, and struggle over the weekend for the proper nutrition they need to grow healthy minds and bodies.  Helping Hands is a local program designed to fill that gap.  Through donations of people in the community, Helping Hands will send these kids home on Friday afternoon with delicious, nutritious meals and snacks to ensure they are eating well over the weekends and come back to school Monday morning ready to learn. 

This program is only possible through the support of people in the community.  Since its inception just a few weeks ago, Helping Hands has already received a tremendous amount of support from people in our community, and is currently serving 12 children in the district.  As word of the program spreads, that number, and the need for donations, will certainly grow.  This is where you come in!  Many people have asked "How can I help?"  At this stage in the program, the best way you can help is to check back here each week before you make a trip to the grocery store and see what items are needed for the upcoming weekend. The goal is to have all donations by Thursday of each week so that bags of food can be ready to be sent home with the kids on Friday afternoon. 

We are taking on this task week by week, and needs for donations and volunteers will likely grow in the coming weeks so stay tuned! For this week, the need is a little greater since there is no school on Friday.  Here is the list:

12 packets of pop tarts
12 apples
12 easy mac packets
12 sleeves of crackers
24 peanut butter (the small individual cups)
12 ravioli cans
12 applesauce
12 individual boxes of cereal
12 soup packets (lipton noodle)
12 individual raisin boxes
12 nutragrain cereal bars
12 pudding cups

The dropoff location is currently Crystal City Elementary, attn:  Helping Hands or Taylor Massa.  This location is subject to change, but we will let you know!  Have a great week!