Genesis

Kids Food Basket

Kids Food Basket is a hunger relief agency in Grand Rapids, Michigan that provides insecure children with an evening meal each weekday. The children we serve attend schools where 80% or above of students live at or below the poverty level. 

This organization was formed after a Principal at one of the GRPS elementary schools found children digging through the dumpster trying to find food to take home so that they would have something to eat before returning the next day to school. Since it was founded, the need has grown to 2060 sack lunches being sent home Monday through Friday, and schools outside of the GRPS system but still in the Grand Rapids area participate in the program.

The fourth Sunday of each month (from 2:00 to 3:00 pm), Genesis works at Kids Food Basket. Six to ten individuals are needed, ages five and older, to help prepare food items to be later put into sack lunches that goout every school day to thousands. Our Club 56 youth are part of this great experience and invite you to join us.  

Members of Club 56 had this to say about their experience:

• "I think it is great that they feed so many people."
• "I can't believe how many people they feed with how little space they have."
• "I couldn't believe how many cereal boxes you can go through in one hour."
• "It was started when kids were found in a dumpster looking for food to take home."
• One Club 56 leader was most impressed by the fact that Sara Lee Bread Company bakes and donates all the bread for the sandwiches that go home every day (4120 slices per day). This is not day old or over bread; it is made fresh daily just for Kids' Food Basket.    "Makes me not feel bad about paying a few more cents for Sara Lee bread."
• Four Club 5/6 members that participated were encouraging the rest of the group to participate in April when we go on Palm Sunday to package food again.