Children’s Pantry Program Now Addresses Dietary Needs

Feed Our Rural Kids (FORK) Children’s Pantry now addresses special dietary needs for area children FORK President Perry Pokrandt announced recently.

“Food allergies, gluten and lactose intolerance are just a few of the nutritional challenges faced by local children,” said Children’s Pantry Chairperson Jean Arndt. “Since opening our initial Children’s Pantry locations within the three Northland Pines Elementary Schools last month, we’ve more clearly seen the need to address these children’s nutritional challenges as well.”

Pokrandt explained that there are now three ways to make FORK aware of a child’s special dietary requirements. Parents can contact Northland Pines Social Worker Katie Stuckemeyer at kstuckemeyr@npsd.k12.us, contact Arndt at jeanarndt@hotmail.com, or talk with their child’s teacher who will then relay the information to FORK and arrangements will then be made to meet those dietary needs.

The Children’s Pantry program was created with a dual purpose — firstly, they provide each school’s educational staff a resource to nutritionally support the children in their care, and secondly, they also provide food insecure families an emergency food resource to help fill in the gaps.

“This attempt to meet the needs of children with special dietary limitations is just another way FORK is pushing back against childhood food insecurity within our local community,” said Pokrandt.

The Children’s Pantry in each community is available to any family who is occasionally challenged by the financial demands of feeding their children.

“The concept of a Children’s Pantry is to encourage people to ‘take what they need’ in support of the children in their care,”  said Arndt.

To learn more or to financially support the Children’s Pantry within the community, visit feedourruralkids.org/childrens-pantry.

Donations also can be mailed to: Children’s Pantry, 4887 Echo Ridge Drive, Eagle River, WI 54521.

FORK is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.