Weekend Food For Kids program returns Sept. 27

Did you know that free bags of nutritious, easy to prepare kid-friendly food are available to students in the School District of Rhinelander?

On Sept. 27 the Weekend Food For Kids (WFFK) program will launch its 15th year of providing students with free food bags for the weekend. The program is a partnership between the Rhinelander Area Food Pantry (RAFP) and the School District of Rhinelander.

“Sometimes families just need a little extra help,” RAFP director Courtney Smith explained in a press release.. “The Weekend Food For Kids Program is designed to support students with extra nutrition over the weekend throughout the school year. Registration is as simple as completing a form and returning it to your school secretary or counselor.” 

 WFFK is open to all students in the district and does not have income eligibility.

Bags are sent home with elementary students each Friday for all school-age children in the home. The bags contain a variety of nonperishable foods. Due to the nature of the program, fresh fruits and vegetables are not included, but these items are available through participation in the food pantry. Families can enroll in WFFK anytime during the school year.  

Weekend Food For Kids is one of three nutrition programs offered by the RAFP under Hodag Kids. The Weekend Food For Kids Program began in 2009 as a way to make sure families have access to the support they need to be healthy and strong. Children and youth can experience food insecurity over the weekend during the school year. School counselors have reported that students rely on school breakfast and lunch during the week and the WFFK program ensures that they will have something for over the weekend. WFFK is and has been a great support system to families and helps to build a bridge between the school and home; families know that they can rely on the school to support more than just their student’s learning. Weekend Food For Kids helps students to return to school on Monday ready to learn. Other programs include the Hodag Snack Attack that provides supplemental, healthy snacks to the School District of Rhinelander and the Hodag Food Wagon, a free summer food bag program.

The WFFK program is funded through grants and community support. The average cost of each food bag is approximately $8 per student and the program runs for 31 weeks. Economic times are always a huge factor in the number of children using the WFFK program. 

Enrollment is anticipated to increase this year as families continue to face increased food costs and reduced supplemental assistance programs post-COVID. 

If you would like to support WFFK, donations can be made through the RAFP website or mailed to Rhinelander Area Food Pantry, P.O. Box 1306, Rhinelander, WI 54501-1306. To learn more about the pantry, visit www.rhinelanderareafoodpantry.org.