“Feeding Kids Cleveland County has been a huge help to our large family! We have received food when we were struggling to cover the cost of feeding everyone over the summer. It has been a blessing to stock our pantry, and exciting to get some fresh foods like bananas, apples, and potatoes. Our young children are thrilled to get books, and recently received some much-needed school supplies. We have been greatly blessed!”
About Us
Feeding Kids of Cleveland County, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was started in 2016 out of the homes of several families who wanted to make a difference in the lives of students in need in our community. Since our inception, we have grown from serving 20 students in 2016 to serving 220 students in 2023, which adds up to over 800 people we are currently and consistently serving through our programs.
Our mission is to provide food and books to students and families who are identified as food insecure in Cleveland County.
We do this through our weekend food bags, school break food and book deliveries, and our annual Community Table Thanksgiving Meals.
In our county, 1 in 3 children are food insecure. Extended breaks from school such as Spring Break and Winter Break leave hundreds of students without a reliable source of food they would normally receive through the school nutrition program at both breakfast and lunch.
With the work of Cleveland County Schools social workers and our team of volunteers, we provide a bag of shelf-stable, kid-friendly food on weekends as well as a large box of shelf-stable food, a bag of fresh food, and age-appropriate books during the 4 major breaks from school throughout the year to bridge this nutritional gap: Spring Break, Summer Break, Thanksgiving Break, and Winter Break. During Summer Break, we deliver 3 times since this is the longest break for students.
Additionally, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day, we help host and coordinate 6 Community Table Thanksgiving Meals across Cleveland County to which all members of the community are invited.
Throughout the year, we make over 1,500 deliveries of food and books and feed over 1,400 people at Thanksgiving across our county, making sure students and families do not go hungry and aren’t alone.
Please contact us for more information and volunteer opportunities by clicking below.
Our Programs
School Break Food & Book Deliveries
For some students, school breaks mean missing out on access to food. Therefore, we work with Cleveland County Schools social workers to identify students in need. Volunteers work to collect, package, and deliver food to the homes of these students.
Weekend Food Bags
In order to support students in need of food on the weekends away from regular school meals, we provide ready-to-eat food to take home on Friday. Donors from our community purchase monthly food items to fill backpacks with food that students take home. Once a month, we ask you to drop off the items you sign up to purchase (click below) at one of our approved drop-off sites around the community. Click HERE for the list of places you can drop off.
Community Table Thanksgiving Meals
The Community Table Thanksgiving Meal is a community-wide effort aiming to bring all areas of Cleveland County together in unity for a shared meal and fellowship. In 2023, this meal took place in 6 outdoor locations the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, November 22, in some of our community's high-need areas. We were able to feed over 1,200 people on this occasion. One of our goals for the meal is to have as many Cleveland County businesses, churches, organizations, groups, and individuals embrace this idea, not just to serve and provide, but also to come together and enjoy a meal with one another.
Save the date for the 2024 meals happening on November 27, 2024.
Reading Kids Cleveland County
Did you know that up to 61% of low-income families do not have any books in their homes? We want to help change this statistic here in Cleveland County by making sure each student and child per family we serve gets one age-appropriate book and one family book 6 times a year, building their in-home libraries and increasing literacy rates. We have also placed Little Free Libraries around the county to increase access to books for all people.
In order to maintain this branch of our work, we are always collecting NEW and GENTLY USED reading materials - any age level, but particularly early reader and elementary age readers (preschool through 5th grade). If you would like to contribute any reading materials, please let us know here!
Volunteer with Feeding kids
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities
Spring Break Food & Book Delivery | March 23
Summer Delivery 1 | Saturday, June 1, 2024
Summer Delivery 2 | Saturday, June 29, 2024
Summer Delivery 3 | Saturday, July 27, 2024
Throughout the year, we welcome volunteers of all ages and backgrounds to help us accomplish tasks and reach our goals. At Feeding Kids, we are powered by volunteers and value each and every person who steps through our doors to pack boxes, deliver food, donate books or food, and make a real difference in the lives of students in need right in our county. If you and your family, business, faith community, friend group or civic organization want to volunteer with us, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Jada Hardin, today by clicking below. We cannot wait to welcome you to our mission in Cleveland County.
Volunteer sign-up links will be posted here and sent out by email shortly before the event dates.
“Feeding Kids Cleveland County has impacted me by giving me an opportunity to give back to the community and children that truly need it. It warms my heart to be able to spend my Saturday mornings serving snd knowing that I have the opportunity to make a difference. I am forever grateful for the opportunity Feeding Kids has given me. ”
Donate to Feeding Kids
We rely on the donations, financially and through food or books, of community members like you to make our mission possible. We are a certified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization. Click the buttons below to learn more about donating, set up recurring giving, or host a food or book drive today. We are so thankful!
Give Back by Purchasing a Car Wash at Edge Express Car Wash in Shelby!
Edge Express Car Wash in Shelby has partnered with us to fundraise at their Shelby locations. With a purchase of a car wash, 50% of the purchase will go to Feeding Kids if you use the link below to buy.
Click here to purchase an Edge Express Car Wash today and give back to Feeding Kids Cleveland County!
Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Feeding Kids Cleveland County whenever you shop on AmazonSmile. It is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service.
Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device
Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into 'Settings'
Tap 'AmazonSmile' and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process
NEW Feeding Kids T-Shirts
Purchase a t-shirt, sweatshirt, or hoodie through our Bonfire page to support Feeding Kids Cleveland County. A portion of all proceeds from this ongoing sale will go directly to our organization.
Looking for assistance?
We are only able to work with school social workers employed by Cleveland County Schools to provide food and books to students in need. Our community is full of resources that can help with different needs that go beyond our scope - from healthcare, clothing, and extra food. Please click below to access a guide from the Cleveland County Health Department.