WHAT DRIVES US
Our Mission
The Mission of Food For Our Children (FFOC) is to eliminate childhood hunger in Bonner County, Idaho. To begin to meet this need, FFOC raises funds to provide nutritious Weekend Food and Mid-Morning Snacks for our children during the school year.
We strongly believe that hunger should not be a factor in determining a child’s future.
The Need
While school age children in need may receive nutritious meals at a free or reduced price while school is in session, they may go hungry when schools are not open. Our plan is simple: buy delicious, child-friendly food at wholesale prices; and along with a dedicated group of volunteers, local teachers, and donors; place that food directly in the hands of children in need. We have no overhead and require no taxpayer dollars, so every penny that is donated goes directly to filling more weekend food bags. With your support we have added a midday snack to many schools, and hope to one day expand to provide summer meals as well. Thanks to the support of donors like you, each week over 425 local children go home with a weekend bag full of food, ensuring they arrive on Monday morning ready to learn.
Original “Backpack” Program
In 1995, a school nurse in Little Rock, Arkansas contacted the local food bank seeking help for children in her school who were suffering from hunger. In response to her concerns, the local food bank started the Food for Kids program and provided hungry students with groceries in non-descript backpacks. And the very first backpack program in the nation was established. All it took was one person who cared enough to make a phone call.
$5
Feeds One Child For One Weekend
425
Children Fed Per Week
13300
Bags Donated in 2023-2024 School Year
10
Bonner County Schools Served
Who We Are
The Team
BARBARA BUCHANAN, Bonner County First District Court Judge
KRIS CONTOR, Architect, Owner, Architecture 311.5
COLLEEN CULWELL, CPA, Owner, Mountain Ledgers
FORD ELSAESSER, Attorney
TRAVIS KAUL, Senior Vice President Commercial Banking, Columbia Bank
DOUG LIEUALLEN, CFO Kochava
DENNIS PENCE, Co-Founder, CEO & Chairman of the Board, Coldwater Creek, retired
KAREN PENCE, SR VP of Marketing. eCommerce, and Business Intelligence, Coldwater Creek, retired
JAMIE SCHLEHUBER, Teacher & Administrator, retired
DAVE VERMEER, Co-owner Jalapeños Restaurant
Statement of Purpose
Food For Our Children is a not for profit public charity organized for the purpose of eliminating childhood hunger in Bonner County, Idaho. FFOC shall solicit donations, grants and gifts in kind for this purpose, and shall use said monies to assist in accomplishing the stated goals of the organization, including providing financial support to existing entities who are involved in providing nutrition to children in Bonner County. FFOC shall research best practices in regards to childhood hunger, solicit assistance from individuals and organizations in this regard, and shall provide such information to interested parties at no cost. FFOC shall also work to raise the visibility of the issue of childhood hunger within Bonner County through the media, public presentations and other means.
Non-Discrimination Policy
Food For Our Children does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, disability, age, political beliefs, national origin (ancestry), marital status, sexual orientation, or military status. These activities include, but are not limited to, the appointment to and termination from its board of Directors, selection of volunteers, vendors or recipients of food. We simply provide funding for weekend food bags and in school snacks to any hungry child in Bonner County.
Approved and Adopted by FFOC Directors