Snack Pack Pals
Feed the Hungry Children in Our Area

The Snack Pack Pals is intended to help the neediest of children in kindergarten through 12th grade. Over long weekends and holidays, food items are sent home with students who have severe hunger needs.  Snack Packs are several food items sent home over long weekends with students who have severe hunger needs at home to help them have something to eat before they return back to school.

Anyone wishing to donate items to be included can simply add them to the God’s Grocery Cart.  The Mission Team will see that the items get to the appropriate destination.  Contact the church office or anyone on the Mission Team for more information.

Suggestions for donations of kid-friendly and easy-to-prepare food:

  • Microwaveable Mac and Cheese Bowls
  • Microwaveable Bowls Chef Boyaredee Singles
  • Nut-free Granola Bars (like Nutrigrain)
  • Shelf Stable Milk (8-ounce size)
  • Cereal Cups
  • Fruit Cups (peaches)
  • Applesauce Cups
  • Juice Boxes/pouches
  • Packs of Cheese or Peanutbutter Crackers
  • Graham Crackers
  • Small Boxes of Raisins
  • Small Peanutbutter To Go

The Snack Pack Pals program was founded in 2015 by Leah Saliby, an eighth-grade English teacher at Whitehall-Coplay Middle School. Leah knew she could not help every child, but she started with the neediest 50 kids in kindergarten through eighth grade. In the fall of 2016, she increased the number of students being helped from 50 to 80. Because of generous donations from the public and student, church and Hunger Initiative food drives, Leah is now able each month to help 100 of the neediest students from kindergarten through 12th grade. A big thank you goes out to all of you who have donated food and/or a monetary donation for this cause.

Leah is the adviser to the middle school’s Leo Club, which has 30 middle school student members. The Leo Club is part of the larger Lions Club International. High school students, such as those in honor societies, in need of community service hours are invited to volunteer for the Snack Pack Pals program. Students can assist in taking inventory and checking expiration dates of food items, as well as packing the Snack Packs prior to distribution.

 Did you know...
...in 2013, over 17% of our current 7th graders reported worrying about running out of food at home?
...approximately 1 in 5 households with children experience food hardship in Pennsylvania?
...36% of the people served by local food banks are children?