Multifund Grantmaking in Johnson County
This story is from our Spring 2023 newsletter. See the full newsletter here!
Johnson County Friends Feeding Friends (JC-FFF) has a straightforward title. It brings to mind people from across Buffalo, where it is based, working together to address hunger. And it lives up to that name.
Donated food ready to be sorted and distributed by Friends Feeding Friends volunteers.
In Johnson County, 28% of children are eligible for free and reduced lunches. In the small community of Kaycee, that number climbs to 35%. Johnson County Friends Feeding Friends has the goal of making sure these children don’t go hungry. So, across the county, every weekend, around 150 food bags are sent home with children. The program also helps stock food pantries weekly in schools.
Project Coordinator Sharon Miller and Assistant Project Coordinator Breean Waller make a strong team. But they couldn’t do this alone. They receive supplies from Food Bank of the Rockies, Blessings in a Backpack, and other partners. About 18 different community groups help pack and deliver food bags.
Students from Buffalo High School form an important part of this volunteer base, making sure other young people in the community are cared for.
Still, with possible government funding cuts ahead, their need will continue to grow. Sharon is determined to use available support in many ways.
That’s why grants made possible by donors like you are so vital.
Sharon has a background as a business and financial manager. When she moved to Buffalo from San Diego, she was eager to put these skills to good use, and JC-FFF was a perfect fit.
Sharon and Breean have reason to celebrate. Sharon notes that, before Friends Feeding Friends, “30% of surveyed kids reported some weekend hunger. We repeated the survey last fall, and the number was down to 12%.”
Pictured: Sharon & Breean celebrate their successes with Friends Feeding Friends.
Because of your support, more youth in Johnson County received meals. Fewer kids go hungry because of you.
New West High School, Buffalo’s alternative school, benefits from JC-FFF’s food pantry program. Success in school is directly related to students being well fed, and Sharon knows this.
“One memory that will stay with me for a long time is attending the first graduation ceremony for students at the alternative high school, New West,” recalls Sharon. “I know that many of these young adults would not have graduated without the New West program, and I believe that JC-FFF helped them achieve success by providing nutritious food daily at the school. WYCF grants make that possible!”