As the holiday season begins there is excitement in the air, but for children who don’t know where their next meal is coming from – it might not be as festive. The organization USANA Kids Eat aims to help those kids have enough food to get them through the two week school break with its fifth annual Holiday Food Bag Program. 

“People sign up to shop for food, bag it and deliver it to schools near them,” said Global Programs Director at USANA Foundation, Michelle Benedict. “A lot of families do it all over. Kids can go to the grocery store and help shop. It’s super hands on. It’s a donation and service combined.”

It’s a great way to reach further than the Bountiful Food Pantry’s weekend program, said Benedict. “From the holiday perspective, there’s nothing for that.”

Benedict started the program Kids Next Door 15 years ago. “I wanted to get involved in the community and make an impact,” she said. “I coached at West High with inner city kids. I wanted to know where the gaps were. There was no food for kids for the long haul over winter break.”

It started with one school, said Benedict. “We made an effort for kids who were dreading the holiday to now be looking forward to it and get excited about it.”

Kids Next Door was geared to service kids, she said. “I ran that for 10 years. It was acquired by USANA and changed to USANA Kids Eat. They’ve been running it for the last five years. They kept the holiday bags and stayed true to form.”

Benedict said they give volunteers instructions on how to do it. “They sign up for the number of bags they want to do. We help them through every single step. We provide the bags, tell them how to drop them off and then they report back on how many they got done.”

The kids the organization serves are amazing, she said. “They’re full of grit. They work hard in spite of their immense challenges. We want to support them in their journey. They need to get that nutrition to work hard and to decrease the anxiety of not knowing where their next meal is coming from and alleviate that.”

They can grow up and become amazing adults who have experienced it, said Benedict. “They can give back and pay it forward. We think so highly of them.”

Benedict said the program helps kids serve and make a difference. “We want kids to get involved. Sometimes we notice people around us and if we can help we do. This program introduces that spirit into their family.”

The program makes a difference from Ogden to Payson. There are several Davis County schools that benefit from it. To find a list go to usanakidseat.org. The online sign up starts now and runs through Dec. 6. Bags will be delivered Dec. 9-13. Monetary donations are also welcome through a secure platform.

“We could never do this program without this amazing community,” said Benedict. “It’s amazing in Utah. People step up, sign up and follow through. I want to thank the community for supporting us for so long. That’s what makes this possible.”λ