Honors College Collecting Healthy Snacks, Meals for Kids Facing Food Insecurity

For many children in Northwest Arkansas, breakfast and a hot lunch at school may be the main meals of the day. On weekends and holidays, and when school is out for the summer, these kids might not get the nutrition they need at home.

The SnackPacks for Kids program provides a bag of healthy snacks and microwaveable meals for children who have been identified as at risk for hunger. The Honors College has partnered with Fayetteville's Washington Elementary School to collect donations for their SnackPack program.

"In our culture of plenty, no child should go hungry," said Chelsea Hodge, assistant director of recruitment for the Honors College. "We hope to send home SnackPacks with 80 kids during the school Thanksgiving break."

You can help by donating food or cash to the SnackPacks for Kids program. Honors College students will collect donations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the following locations this week:

• Mon., Nov. 6-Tues., Nov. 7: Outside of Brough Dining Hall
• Wed., Nov. 8: In front of the Arkansas Union
• Thurs., Nov. 9: In front of Bell Engineering

Please donate healthy snack foods and easy, microwavable meals that children can prepare for themselves, such as cheese crackers, canned Vienna sausages, Easy Mac, and Chef Boyardee. No peanut products will be accepted.

"All those flex dollars you have left? Use them to buy Easy Mac in Club Red!" Hodge said.  You may also support these children at any time this week by bringing food or a cash donation to the Honors College front desk, located on the first floor in the south wing of Gearhart Hall.