Your Decorated Kids Food Basket Brown Bags Show Kids We Care
Kids’ Food Basket is GR’s Meal Machine, and they need our help. In an artsy kind of way.
Ever wonder what 10,000 lunches looks like?
Swing by Kids Food Basket (KFB) in Grand Rapids on a busy morning, and you’ll find out because that’s what they deliver on the daily to hungry kids in our neighborhoods.
It’s like your kitchen during the holidays – times a hundred.
Seriously. Kids’ Food Basket is a well-oiled volunteer sandwich-making machine and it’s buzzing with energy, packed with neighbors helping neighbors, making sure no kid goes hungry in West Michigan.
They aren’t slapping together any old lunch, either. Each one is packaged with care, placed in a brown bag decked out with colorful drawings from local kids and families. All to combat the often-invisible issue of childhood hunger that is present in even the smallest of West MI zip codes.
It all happens with the help of community members, young and old, and you’re invited to join in by decorating brown bags for these lunches.
This Lunch Program Packs a Punch
Have you seen the white Kids Food Basket vans zipping around town?
These meal mobiles are packed to the gills with quality lunch supplies.
At KFB, they believe in feeding kids not just any food, but fresh, healthy meals that help them grow and thrive.
One of the coolest ways they do this, is by growing some of their own food in two on-site greenhouses. It’s like having a mini farm right in the heart of the organization. And they’re delivering it to our local school kids in the form of sack lunches in individually hand-decorated brown paper lunch bags.
Brown Bag Results: A Tasty Way to Reduce School Suspensions
It turns out, a belly filled with healthy food from these lunches can make a big difference in school, too.
Kids’ Food Basket has witnessed something extraordinary: suspensions in schools go down, and test scores go up. It’s not because anything else changed—just the food.
KFB is setting kids up with full bellies and sharp minds and has seen something unexpected. When kids have access to good, nutritious meals, they’re more focused and ready to succeed, both in class and beyond.
Inside the Buzzy Volunteer Machine
Volunteers work together to put these super lunches together.
Step into Kids’ Food basket on a busy morning and you can hear the hum, smell the food, and see the hustle of a large-scale kitchen and packing space that is alive with activity.
It’s a whirlwind of teamwork and energy, with people chopping fruits, packing meals, and stacking up those brown paper bags.
(Feeling inspired? Decorating bags or volunteering at KFB is one of many West MI volunteer opportunities.)
Ready to Make a Difference?
Grab a Bag, Some Markers & Join In
At Kids’ Food Basket, their mission is simple: nourish, inspire, and support.
And helping out at Kids’ Food Basket is simple, too. Just grab your craft supplies, some brown paper bags and get creative. Then, drop your decorated bags off at a KFB location.
(In case you’re wondering if these decorated bags really make a difference? They do!)
“Sometimes the kids enjoy the bags more than the food itself. “ – Damon Bouwkamp, Manager of Volunteer Services.
Whether you’re decorating bags over break or getting your kids’ classroom involved, you can make a difference this winter.
What you need to decorate:
- Brown or white 4 or 8 lb. or size extra-large paper sacks work best.
- Crayons or markers.
- Refrain from using paint, glitter, feathers or stickers, as they can come off in the food.
- Please keep in mind that many Sack Suppers will be going to public schools and therefore cannot contain religious messages.
Feel free to drop decorated bags off at any Kids’ Food Basket location during open business hours (varies by location).
By joining in on the Brown Paper Bag program, you’re part of bringing hope and healthier meals to thousands of kids every day.
KFB brings the story of their sack lunches to the students, too. Watch this video to see the journey your decorated brown bag might go on!
Kids’ Food Basket Locations
Swing by KFB to drop off your brown paper bags and while you’re there, take a minute to check this place out!
Kids Food Basket Headquarters is located at 1300 Plymouth Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505.
Stop by the farm or visit other locations across West Michigan.
- Kids’ Food Basket Farm – Ottawa + Allegan On the Ridge: 226 104th Ave Holland, MI 49423
- Ottawa & Allegan Counties: 652 Hastings Ave. Holland, MI 49423
- Muskegon County: 1537 S Getty St. Muskegon, MI 49442
Kids Food Basket – Nourishing kids to reach their full potential.
