Feeding our Kids

06/04/2026

Students at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine donated 27 boxes of oatmeal to help fill our summer food bags!

This donation was made possible through funding awarded to them by the American Medical Association Foundation to support organizations helping children.

We especially appreciate Lauren, a medical student who coordinated this project and made sure the oatmeal arrived in time for our summer food pack on Monday. We are looking forward to having them volunteer with us in the new school year.

06/03/2026

We are excited to share that Feeding Our Kids has been awarded a 2026 Community Impact Grant from Carle Health.

This grant will help support our mission of ensuring children across Champaign County have reliable access to nutritious food on weekends when school meals are not available.

Carle Health is committed to supporting services that address food insecurity and promote access to nutritious food that improve the overall well-being of children. We appreciate their partnership in addressing food insecurity in our community.

Thank you, Carle Health, for supporting Feeding Our Kids and the children and families we serve throughout Champaign County!

06/02/2026

Visit this link to find summer meal options for kids 18 and under at Champaign, Urbana and Rantoul school sites.

🌟Chambanamoms tip: Both Urbana School District #116 and Champaign Unit 4 Schools offer FREE meals for children over the summer through USDA's Summer Food Program.

🥪Many children rely on school lunches - this program helps increase food access over the summer. Details can be found here: chambanamoms.com/2026/05/26/children-summer-meals-champaign-urbana/

🗣Help us get the word out in hopes that no kid goes hungry this summer!

06/01/2026

Summer meals (breakfast and lunch) at Champaign Unit 4 schools starts today for kids 18 and under. You do not need to be a Unit 4 family to receive these meals. Check the list to see where meals are served each week through the summer and refer to the original post for any additional details.

05/28/2026

Last week we had the pleasure of hosting the Rotary Club of Champaign! We appreciate them taking the time to volunteer and help pack bags of food for local kids across our community.

Fun fact: Many years ago, this Rotary Club helped with the initial purchase of the green and blue bins we still use today. Their support has made a lasting impact on Feeding Our Kids and the students we serve each week.

Thank you, Rotary Club of Champaign, for your continued partnership and commitment to helping local children thrive!

05/21/2026

This school year, 53,093 bags were packed and delivered to schools by dedicated volunteers to help feed kids on the weekends across Champaign County. Even as the numbers of food insecure kids increased throughout the year our volunteers continued to step up to meet the need.

Thank you to our volunteers, community partners, donors, school social workers, and school liaisons who make this work possible every week! Your support helps ensure children have access to food when they need it most. We appreciate all of you for caring so much about kids here locally.

As the school year wraps up, our work continues as we are now providing summer bags to help support kids at area summer programs.

05/13/2026

During Food Allergy Awareness Week, we want to highlight an important part of our program. Every week, Feeding Our Kids serves more than 100 students with special dietary restrictions through carefully packed “allergy bags.”

To make this possible, we host a separate food sort dedicated to these bags, which can range from a single allergen restriction like “no guava” to more complex needs such as “no pork, fish, wheat, or nuts.” Each bag is labeled with a special yellow sticker listing the school and dietary restrictions to help ensure students receive safe food options.

We are grateful for the volunteers and partners who help make this extra level of care possible so every child can have a bag with food that meets their needs.

05/11/2026

We’re grateful for the hard work and dedication of our Humanities in Action Scholars this semester, Lucas and Amari!

If you’ve attended one of our food packs, you’ve likely seen them keeping things running smoothly by filling bins and helping with operations. Beyond the packs, Lucas has been helping design a new flyer and update our website, while Amari has been supporting our database management efforts.

These students are making a real impact both in the classroom and at Feeding Our Kids, and we appreciate all the time, energy, and talent they bring to our mission!


We CU

05/06/2026

Heritage Homer Elementary and Junior High recently thanked Feeding Our Kids in one of the most heartfelt ways imaginable. Students created beautiful butterflies and wrote thoughtful notes of appreciation to everyone who makes this work possible, from our staff to our volunteers and donors.

This meaningful project was organized by Social Worker Kelsi Walters, who shared the idea of the “butterfly effect” ,how even a small action, like the flap of a butterfly’s wings, can grow into something powerful. In the same way, each bag of food has the potential to make a lasting difference in a child’s life.

As Kelsi so perfectly said, “Your impact in our school is not just within the walls, the lockers, the backpacks, but in the lives of the students who leave our building and head to their homes.”

We are so grateful for this reminder of why we do what we do and for the students and school staff who inspire us every day. 🦋

05/05/2026

Feeding Our Kids is proud to partner with United Way of Champaign County and their Emerging Community Leaders cohort. Alison had the privilege of sharing her experiences with volunteering and serving on local boards, alongside fellow community leaders Jeff and Celina.

We’re grateful for partnerships like this and inspired by the impact these emerging leaders are already making to strengthen their community. Several cohort members have joined us to pack weekend food bags, directly supporting children across Champaign County.