Donate today, help kids eat tomorrow.
One in four children in the Tampa Bay Region goes hungry. Families are one event (car problem, doctor bill, etc.) from not being able to put food on the dinner table. Eight years ago, the Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon partnered with Gibsonton Elementary School to try to address this issue. Many students were missing meals on the weekends. “Project Smile” was launched to help resolve this community problem and provided a backpack of food each weekend for about 1/3 of the students (200 children).
Each year the program has improved and expanded. “Project Smile” is now focused on the entire family. Last spring, a room in the school was converted into a full food pantry. Fresh produce, frozen meat, canned goods, soups, condiments, bread, baked goods, and toiletry items are available. New deliveries are received every 2 weeks.
Each Friday during the school year from 2:00-4:00 PM any family with a child at Gibsonton Elementary can come to the pantry and receive 20-25 pounds of free food. The Brandon Kiwanis Club covers all costs. As Kiwanians it is one way to support our mission “to improve the world one child and one community at a time”. The “Smiles” we see every Friday are reward enough.
We Need Your Help!
Grants cover about 75% of the expenses. We need your support for the other 25%. We are a volunteer organization with no paid staff. 100% of the money donated goes directly to the pantry. Please consider a donation. The Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon Foundation is a 501(C)(3) charity, which allows donations to be tax deductible.
No donation is too small. Thank you for your generosity.
