Grant Application for
Manna Food Project
Mission Statement:
Fiscal agent if applicant is not tax exempt:
Tax ID Number:
38-2764533
Contact First Name:
Contact Last Name:
Jessyca
Stoepker
Address:
8791 McBride Park Court, Harbor Springs MI 49740
Phone Number:
231-347-8852
Website:
Project Name:
Fresh Fruit for Charlevoix and Beaver Island School Children
Project start and end dates:
August 26, 2020
June 9, 2021
Amount Requested:
$
2000
Project Description:
The mission of Manna Food Project, a distribution partner of Feeding America, is to feed the hungry in Antrim, Charlevoix, and Emmet counties. To fulfill this mission, Manna operates a food bank (distribution center), a weekly food pantry, a food rescue program, and the "Food 4 Kids" backpack program.
Each week of the school year, volunteers assemble and deliver about 1,500-1,800 "Food 4 Kids" backpacks to at-risk students in elementary, pre-school, and Head Start programs. In the past, we have received funds to provide Charlevoix and Beaver Island students fresh fruit to go into their bags, which totals over 7,000 each school year. However, we did not receive funding to do so this past school year, and product prices have increased. The COVID-19 crisis has only made things worse, adding to Manna's constraints and increasing the urgency of healthy food access. We plan to use Hestia's grant funds to offset this cost and to continue providing fresh fruit to kids that need it most.
Goal of the Project
How many people will you reach?
200
What percentage are female?
50
If your program serves both males and females, how will Hestia funds specifically target women and girls?
Students are eligible for the "Food 4 Kids" backpack program if they qualify for free or reduced-cost meals through the National School Lunch Program, or by the recommendation of a teacher. Since identifying information is confidential and Manna is only made aware of the total number of backpacks needed, it is impossible to record the percentage of male versus female students. The ratio is generally estimated to fall 50/50.
How are recipients identified or selected to receive services? Is financial need considered?
Children may be “categorically eligible” for free meals through participation in certain Federal Assistance Programs, such as the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program, or based on their status as a homeless, migrant, runaway, or foster child. Children enrolled in a federally-funded Head Start Program, or a comparable State-funded pre-kindergarten
program, are also categorically eligible for free meals. Children can also qualify for free or reduced price school meals based on household income and family size. Children from families with incomes at or below 130
percent of the Federal poverty level are eligible for free meals. Those with incomes between 130 and 185 percent of the Federal poverty level are eligible for reduced price meals.
Students may also receive backpacks if a teacher believes the child could benefit from the program, even if they do not meet federal guidelines.
What do you hope to achieve? What difference will this make in the lives of women and girls?
How will this project meet Hestia's mission statement?
One in five children in Charlevoix and Emmet counties lives in a household where there is inconsistent access to healthy food. As a result, many children face challenges at school. Hunger decreases a child’s ability to concentrate and learn, and keeps them from achieving their full potential. According to Feeding America, children facing hunger are more likely to repeat a grade in elementary school, experience developmental impairments in areas like language and motor skills, and have more social and behavioral problems.
Manna’s “Food 4 Kids” program helps address this issue by providing elementary students with a backpack of kid-friendly food. Since students are not able to receive school meals on Saturdays and Sundays, these backpacks provide children with supplemental food items to last them through the weekend. Providing access to healthy foods increases a student's chance of becoming successful and self-sufficient.
Manna works with dietitians to ensure food items are as healthy as possible; however, the shelf-stable food items for each backpack cost about $3.15 and supplying fresh items is even more expensive.
How will you evaluate or measure your success:
Success will be measured through the acquisition and distribution of the fresh fruit. All accounting records will be diligently kept and provided for evaluation, as well as anecdotal information received through volunteers, school staff, and students.
If additional funding is available, Manna would happily explore providing fruit to East Jordan and Bellaire school students as well.
Grant Project Budget Form
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