| Organization information | |
|---|---|
| Organization Name | Kids' Food Basket |
| Please tell us the amount of funding you are requesting Aware to raise for your organization from the Aware annual fundraising event. | $2,000 |
| If your organization received Aware funding in the previous years, how many clients were serviced and/or how many services were provided with those funds. If you receive Aware funding this current year, how many clients will be serviced and/or how many services will be provided with these funds? | Last year, Kids’ Food Basket nourished approximately 1,100 children a day in Ottawa and Allegan counties. This year, Kids’ Food Basket anticipates maintaining this, continuing to nourish approximately 1,100 children daily. |
| Please provide a listing of the Officers and Board members of your organization. | Board of Directors: Ottawa/Allegan Advisory Board: |
| Your Contact Information | Haley Rademacher |
| Phone | 616-235-4532 |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Scoring Criteria | |
| 1. Description of the Organization (maximum 5 points, please limit to ½ pages) | For over twenty years, Kids' Food Basket (KFB) has been dedicated to providing children with the nourishment they need to reach their full potential. By breaking down barriers and increasing access to healthy, nourishing food, KFB is helping to set a platform for children and families to thrive. KFB is working with its neighbors to realize a hunger-free West Michigan for all through its sustainable, community-driven farming and educational programming. KFB's approach goes beyond addressing immediate nutritional needs. KFB nourishes kids, grows produce, fosters learning and engagement, and advocates for its community, planting the seeds of sustainable change for generations. This work paves the way for generational improvements in the community's food system for all, promoting a strong, healthy community that depends on strong, healthy children and families. KFB began operations in Ottawa County in May of 2015, following a movement by the community advocating the need for KFB’s services in the area. Since then, KFB has expanded its footprint from nourishing 241 students in Ottawa County alone to delivering over 1,100 nourishing daily meals alongside nutrition education to students in Ottawa and Allegan Counties. With the opening of its permanent facility in 2021, KFB is deepening its impact and expanding its programs. Additionally, KFB recently broke ground on a new, 10-acre all-natural farm in Holland, which will produce thousands of servings of fresh fruits and vegetables for children and families in Ottawa and Allegan counties. With continued, robust community support, KFB will be able to provide even more children in Ottawa and Allegan counties with comprehensive nutrition support, including ready-to-eat meals, agriculture and nutrition education, and farm-fresh produce grown locally on KFB's community-driven farm. |
| 2. Funding Request (maximum 35 points, total, please limit to 1 page) | Kids' Food Basket (KFB) believes healthy food is a right, not a privilege, for all. But not all people have access to nutritious meals. Over the past two decades of its work in West Michigan, KFB has worked to bring its community together to do something about it. Through KFB's programs, it removes barriers to food security through an integrated approach shaped by its five core commitments: • Nourish: KFB will increase food security in Ottawa and Allegan Counties by providing daily healthy, ready-to-eat Sack Suppers to children in resource-scarce households. Through the Sack Supper program, KFB will deliver an average of 1,100 daily nourishing meals to Ottawa and Allegan Counties students. Through KFB's programs and with the support of committed community partners like West Shore Aware, KFB will create a transgenerational impact on health outcomes for children, families, and the Ottawa and Allegan communities at large. |
| 3. Funding Justification (maximum 40 points, please limit to 1 page) | Planning for organizational and community sustainability is an obligation of the Kids' Food Basket's (KFB) board and staff to ensure the continuation of its services. KFB's ability to respond to childhood hunger and deliver financially sustainable results is made possible through the support of community partners joining in this Good Food movement. KFB is requesting support general operating support in Ottawa and Allegan counties. Currently, other supporters of KFB Ottawa+Allegan include: • JR Community Cares - $12,000 Organization-wide funding percentages for Kids' Food Basket's most recently completed fiscal year (July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022) is as follows: It is an obligation of KFB to ensure that it can continue its work toward a hunger-free West Michigan for all. Ultimately, the sustainability of KFB's operations comes from its annual donors and volunteer base and its ability to align outcomes with stakeholders who desire to realize these outcomes. KFB will continue to build its funding through donations and apply for additional program support through grant funders like West Shore Aware. |
| 4. Summary | As of 2020, 7.2% of children in Ottawa County and 9.3% in Allegan County are food insecure (Feeding America Map the Meal Gap). While Kids' Food Basket (KFB) currently delivers 1,100 meals across the two counties, that only fills 14% of the nutrition gap for children. With the support of West Shore Aware, KFB can work toward deepening its work in the region, expanding access to nutritious food for children that support lifelong health and limitless potential. KFB's goal is to realize future generations of healthy West Michigan citizens. Research has shown that children with consistent access to food have improved health and education outcomes. Improving food security supports children in growing into fulfilled and vibrant community members of the next generation. KFB is committed to ensuring these outcomes for children and families in Ottawa and Allegan counties through its integrated, community-centered programming. Through its programs, KFB will: • Nourish the children of Ottawa and Allegan counties each weekday with ready-to-eat, healthy food |
| Application Agreement | This is an application, otherwise known as a Request for Funding (RFF), from
West Shore Aware. This RFF is a request from your organization to Aware, for Aware to host a
Fundraising Event for your organization. By completing this RFF, your organization is requesting to be considered by Aware’s membership for an Aware fundraising event to be held during the summer of this year, also known as the White Party.
If your organization is chosen for a fundraising event by the Aware membership, your organization will agree to the following terms and conditions for the said fundraising event. 1. Aware will be given and provided full credit for the fundraising event in all of you organization’s publicity and advertising for said event, to include but not limited to event posters, newspaper advertising, handouts, radio and television advertising for the event, and organizational announcements concerning the event. 2. Your organization will only use the funds raised by Aware from said event for the purpose described in the RFF submitted to Aware. 3. Your organization understands that West Shore Aware is a philanthropic organization of LBGTQ+ individuals and their supporters, and that the funds your organization receives from Aware will be coming from the West Michigan lakeshore community. 4. The funds received from Aware as a result of the fundraising event will be net, after expenses for said fundraising event are paid. 5. Aware may use the name of your organization in its own advertising and publicity as a recipient of funds.. 6. Your organization will supply Aware with written approval to hold, or be part of a fundraising event held by Aware. 7. West Shore Aware reserves the right to audit any organization that receives funding to determine whether the funds were used as described in its RFF. 8. Your organization will allow West Shore Aware to use you organization’s name on the West Shore Aware website. In addition, if your organization has a website, you will link that website to the West Shore Aware website and allow West Shore Aware to link to your organization’s site. West Shore Aware’s web site link must remain on your web site for a full year from the date of the monetary disbursement. Failure to do so will disqualify you from requesting future funding. Once you have completed the RFF and agreed to the aforementioned, please submit it. Please sign this document below, indicating acceptance of the aforementioned terms and conditions. By signing the document, you acknowledge your organization is a registered 501(C) 3 Charitable organization. |
| Signature | |
| Date | 04/24/2023 |
| Ready to Submit |
|
