By KATIE WISELY
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
A Hamilton County organization is helping to eliminate hunger in Noblesville elementary schools.
The purpose of “Fueled for School” is to make sure students have food on the weekend.
“I think it’s embarrassing for some of them, but you can tell they are always hungry,” said Hinkle Creek Elementary student Gerry Zink.
Photo provided
Every Wednesday, volunteers work to help young children in the community. One week, volunteers shop for food and then send out double meal packs the following week. Some of the volunteers are students themselves and are packing for some of their classmates.
“I want the world to be a better place,” Zink said.
It takes place at Ivy Tech’s Noblesville campus. Nine items go into each bag, like fruit, granola bars, popcorn, pasta and oatmeal.
“I feel good that I am helping people get food,” said Hinkle Creek Elementary student Nola Trusty.
On meal pack nights, community drivers take crates of meal packs to various Noblesville elementary schools. The meal packs are then put into students’ backpacks on Fridays by their teachers. That food is supposed to get the student through the next two weekends.
“Usually when people are talking about food they are like, ‘Oh, I’m so hungry because I didn’t get dinner last night,'” Zink said.
Counselors work with teachers at every elementary school in Noblesville and determine what student may need some assistance.
“At first I noticed one student came in not ready to go in the morning,” said Hinkle Creek Elementary teacher Makayla Speek. “She was often times angry in the morning so I would ask her if she ate breakfast and every morning she would tell me no.”
Almost every elementary school in the district receives weekly meal packs. The organization serves between 350 and 400 students every week.
“We make the meal packs and then something amazing happens,” said Fueled for School president Kristina Trusty. “Community drivers pull up here every packing night and collect all the crates filled with food. Then they drive them out to the elementary schools in the district.”
Amerifence is the corporate sponsor and helps feed 40 children a year.
It’s $200 to sponsor one child for the entire year. That’s about $20 a month. If you’d like to sign up, visit fueledforschool.org/donate.