Organization information
Organization NameKids’ Food Basket
Please tell us the amount of funding you are requesting Aware to raise for your organization from the Aware annual fundraising event.

$10,000

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 each weekday 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:
- Mary Command, Williams Group: President/Treasurer
- Jessie Jones, Corewell Health: Vice President
- Mario Cascante, Luna Restaurant Group: Secretary
- Mary K. Hoodhood: Founder
- Menaka Abel, Request Foods
- Charen Buyce, Stitch Fix
- Matthew Cortez, Superintendent Muskegon Public Schools
- Graciela Cruz, Amway
- Timothy Dudley, Rhoades McKee
- Max Gibbs, Retired Teacher and Community Champion
- Dr. Ronald Grifka, Metro Health, UM
- Bob Kaser, Grand Rapids Griffins
- Phalesha Kyes, By Phalesha Events
- Keith Rothstein, Meijer
- Phil Sims, Integrity Tree Services
Ottawa/Allegan Advisory Board:
- Melanie Downing: Advisory Board Chair
- Barret Bloenk: Advisory Board Vice-Chair
- Penny Bursma
- Tracy Umbenhour
- Carolyn Stich
- Jessica Rodriguez-Garza
- Nora Balgoyen
- Scott Potter
- Andrew Herlein
- Boyd Feltman
- Rosemary Ervine

Your Contact InformationHaley Rademacher
Phone6162354532
EmailEmail 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 nourished children to reach their full potential. By breaking down barriers and increasing consistent 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 immediate food distribution, community-driven farming and educational programming.

The Sack Supper program was launched in Ottawa County in May of 2015, following a movement by the community advocating for KFB’s services in the area. Since then, KFB has expanded its footprint from nourishing 241 students each weekday in Ottawa County alone to delivering an average of 1,100 nourishing daily meals and 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 programming. KFB’s 10-acre all-natural farm in Holland produces 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 nourish 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 and will the support of West Shore Aware, KFB will work to remove barriers to food security through 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 at eight partner schools. Through the Sack Supper program, KFB will deliver an average of 1,100 daily nourishing meals to Ottawa and Allegan Counties students.
• Grow: KFB will increase healthy food access for children and families through the growth and distribution of produce on its all-natural, sustainable farmland. The KFB Farm Ottawa+Allegan will provide thousands of servings of fresh fruits and vegetables for distribution in Sack Suppers and to food agency partners.
• Learn: Kids’ Food Basket will use its facilities and farm as classroom to foster a deeper understanding of where food comes from and why it is important, so children can develop the tools they need to make lifelong healthy choices.
• Engage: KFB will intentionally invite and include diverse perspectives to participate in solutions toward food security in Ottawa and Allegan counties. Over this fiscal year, KFB will host hundreds of unique volunteers to support the delivery of ready-to-eat meals to schools.
• Advocate: KFB will strive to increase its community’s understanding of food access, why it is important and what can be done to ensure good food for generations.

Through KFB's programs and with the support of committed community partners like West Shore Aware, KFB will foster long-term positive health outcomes for children, families, and the Ottawa and Allegan communities at large.

3. Funding Justification (maximum 40 points, please limit to 1 page)

Ensuring organizational and community sustainability is an obligation of the Kids' Food Basket's (KFB) board and staff to ensure the continuation of its programs. 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. Currently, other supporters of KFB’s work in Ottawa+Allegan, including Healthy Children Healthy Futures programming, include: 

- Mignon Sherwood Delano Foundation - $5,000
- Perrigo Foundation - $30,000
- Lugers Family Foundation - $4,000
- Allegan County Community Foundation, TAG - $3,000

Organization-wide approximate funding percentages, not including in-kind and event funding, for KFB's last completed fiscal year (July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023) are as follows: 

- Government grants: 14%
- Private grants and donations: 83% 
- Community organizations: 3%   

As a 92% philanthropically funded organization, financial support from annual donors and labor support from volunteers are essential for the long-term sustainability of KFB's work. The organization works to align its outcomes with corporate and foundation stakeholders who share its vision of a hunger-free West Michigan for all. To achieve this, KFB is committed to building its annual fund through donations and applying for additional program support through partnerships with foundations.

4. Summary

In 2021, 3.9% of children in Ottawa County and 6.5% in Allegan County experienced food insecurity (Feeding America). KFB currently delivers 1,100 meals across both counties – yet a large gap still exists between the meals KFB can provide and the number of children who would benefit from nutritional support. With continued support of West Shore Aware, KFB can work toward deepening its impact, expanding access to nutritious food for more children.

Research has shown that children with consistent access to nutritious food have improved health and education outcomes, supporting them to grow into healthy citizens. KFB is committed to ensuring these outcomes for children and families in Ottawa and Allegan counties through immediate nutrition support, produce distribution and nutrition and gardening education. Through its programs, KFB will:

• Nourish children in Ottawa and Allegan counties each weekday with ready-to-eat meals.
• Grow all-natural fruits and vegetables on the 10-acre KFB Farm Ottawa+Allegan for distribution through Sack Suppers and food agency partners.
• Foster Learning by hosting school groups on its farm and facility for agriculture and nutrition education
• Engage the diverse community of Ottawa and Allegan counties as partners to fuel the Good Food movement.
• Build a community of Advocates by increasing the community’s understanding of food access, why it is important and what can be done to ensure good food for generations.

Application AgreementThis 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
Date04/30/2024
Ready to Submit
  • Yes