By Sheri Louis
Change can teach us to adapt, to learn and to grow. Generous Hands has been serving families in our community for over 18 years and continues to adapt and change to meet the needs of those who are facing food insecurity and difficult circumstances.
The Friday Pack Program at Generous Hands no longer packs food or delivers food on Fridays. The program has evolved and changed over the last few years, and will soon be re-branded the “Power Pack Program” to reflect the changes being made to better serve our families. Although packs are not being delivered to schools, Generous Hands has found creative ways to distribute food packs and meet the needs of the children and families who face food insecurity.
• Generous Hands is open for clients to pick up packs every week, Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m.-noon, and additional hours as needed.
• Volunteers are delivering packs to homes when there are health concerns or transportation barriers.
• A Blessing Box is located in front of the Generous Hands/SCCS building at 606 Spruce Street, and another Blessing Box is now located in the Portage Terrace Mobile Home Park. The Blessing Boxes contain nonperishable food, snacks and hygiene items. Supplies are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Snacks and hygiene items are being delivered to all school buildings.
Generous Hands’ mission remains the same: to benefit hungry children by strengthening their physical, emotional, nutritional, and educational well-being. Generous Hands is simply embracing the never-ending changes, adapting to new circumstances, and using the knowledge gained as an opportunity to better serve our families.
Generous Hands is thankful for our volunteers who keep the Blessing Box stocked – Steve Buell, Carole Boal, Janet Kosacek, Arielle Mayo, and Ken and Jill Weyenberg, and for Nancy Herson, who has been making food pack deliveries to those who cannot make it in for packs.
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