Helping Kids With Their Next Meals
Looking For Lots Of Staples This Season
By Rebecca R. Born
Executive Director, GPHC, Inc.
As the year wraps up, I want to make sure you all know how appreciative we are to be in such a supportive community. We could not function without your support and involvement. By the time this goes to press, more than 286 Thanksgiving meals, with all the trimmings, were sent out and enjoyed by our neighbors because of your generous support.
Our weekend food program has grown extraordinarily quickly. The number of children living Park Hill with food insecurities – often not knowing where or when they will get their next nutritious meal – is staggering. Right now we provide 116 children with two breakfasts, two lunches, snacks and fruit every single week. We don’t usually ask for specific brands but we need to have consistency across bags for this program.
With that in mind, here’s a list of what we supply:
• Campbell’s: Chicken Noodle Soup box
• Chef Boyardee: Ravioli in single-serve portions
• Libby bagged vegetables: Corn, Green Beans, and Peas
• Kraft: boxes of Macaroni and Cheese
• Kroger : Instant Oatmeal packets, Dried Beans, Granola bars, Tuna, and Honey Nut Os
• Moo Mates: single serve milk
• Motts: single serving Fruit Cup and Applesauce, packets of Fruit Snacks
• Quaker Granola Bars
• Belvita Breakfast Cookies
In addition, we stock our regular food pantry. Here’s what we need:
• Protein-heavy soups and stews
• Canned corn, spinach, and beans
• Canned fruit packed in water or light syrup
• Bags of rice
• Bags of fresh potatoes, carrots, and apples
• Toilet paper and paper towels.
We also have a very special wishlist. As many of you know, we work in an old building that needs a lot of attention. With that in mind, we could use some old-fashioned tools. Believe me, they would help a lot:
• Cordless Drill with lots of bits and drivers
• Heavy hammer
• Assortment of fasteners
• High ceiling bulb changers
• Heavy duty measuring tape
Heading into the holidays, we are very grateful to Hal from Park Hill Congregational, for donating a beautiful 7.5- foot pre-lit tree for our foyer. This season, if you have extra ornaments that you would like to donate, we’d love to really deck this baby out.
All donations can be dropped off at the GPHC office at 2823 Fairfax St. The office is open Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feel free to call if you have any questions; the number is (303) 388-0918.
Thanks again everybody, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the new year!