(By Matt Pedigo, The Citizen-Times, September 1, 2016, Used by permission)
The Allen County Schools Family Resource Center (FRC) is in need of non-perishable food for its heavilyused Backpack Program as well as other items to serve the needs of local students.
The Backpack Program sends easily-prepared, non-perishable food items home with students who don’t have adequate food at home; for many, the only regular meals they get are when school is in session.
The backpacks are mainly for weekends, and FRC staff prepares them weekly for about 250 to 300 students, FRC Coordinator Rhonda Kircher said.
Though the new school year isn’t yet a month old, the FRC’s food pantry is rapidly emptying, and food donations are needed. They go through a lot of peanut butter and other canned foods, and easily-prepared other dishes, such as soups or macaroni and cheese.
The FRC has offices in all four local public schools, and is headquartered in the Allen County Intermediate Center. The Backpack Program sees regular use, but the FRC offices offer—and thus need donations for—much more.
“We can also use shoes, underwear, socks and gently-used clothing,” Kircher noted. “And we always need shoes.”
For obvious reasons, pre-school through third-grade children go though more underwear, but clothing is needed for students of all grades.
The FRC’s closets and pantries help students who don’t have winter coats or shoes, but they aren’t only for students from low-income families. Any child can rip clothing or tear up shoes during the course of a school day, and the FRC provides a way for them to get fresh clothing or shoes and go back to class.
Also, some students come to school out of compliance with dress codes—some in defiance, but often because they truly don’t have clothes that meet the guidelines. The FRC stocks can help with that.
The FRC also provides a variety of school supplies, which any child can run out of or forget to bring on a given day. FRC offices also provide personal hygiene items like toothbrushes, toothpaste or deodorant, so those donations are welcome as well.
In all, Kircher said, the various FRC offices across the Allen County School District combine to serve about 75 percent of the entire student population over the course of a school year.
When school is in session, donations can be made at the school of the donor’s preference. At Allen County-Scottsville High School, the Youth Service Center there has its own phone number, (270) 622-3311. The main number for the Allen County Primary Center is (270) 618-7200; for James E. Bazzell Middle School, call (270) 622-7140.
The main FRC office at ACIC is open weekdays (except holidays) even when school is out. Its hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the phone number is (270) 618-8202.
The program has relied heavily on donations and charitable allocations for funding. In previous years, a substantial chunk of that has come from the United Way of Southern Kentucky. However, UWSK has placed more emphasis on its new 2-1-1 community resource information hotline, which meant cuts elsewhere, including its allocation amount for the FRC.
Thus, item donations are even more necessary this year, Kircher noted. She extends a special thanks to all the churches, civic organizations and individuals who have contributed in the past.
Monetary and some material donations are tax-deductible.