2025 Annual Impact Report for Feeding Kids Cleveland County
Our mission is to provide food and books to students and their 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.
This school year, we increased our impact. First, we added four small scale “mini deliveries” to three schools on the Restart Schedule: Township 3 Elementary, Washington Elementary, and James Love Elementary. Approximately 35 families we assisted during these deliveries. Secondly, we were able to add all four high schools to our school break delivery lists starting in the beginning of 2026 because of the amazing support of our donors and volunteers. Lastly, we started giving families meal kits and recipe cards in our delivery boxes to make the food items we give more accessible and nourishing for the families we serve.
Keep reading to learn more!
A Message from Heather Stevens, Executive Director and Founder
Dear Friends and Supporters,
Heather Stevens
Executive Director & Founder
Feeding Kids Cleveland County
Our 2025 Board of Directors and Leadership Team
Board of Directors
Masonya Ruff- President
Elizabeth Schweppe- Vice President
Marie Jackson- Treasurer
Nikki Littlejohn- Secretary
Margot Plonk
Bre Stokes
Leadership Team
Mallory Brown- Social Media, Website, Communications
Molly Brownlee- Reading Kids Cleveland County Coordinator
Tabatha Coker- School Break Delivery Coordinator
Jada Hardin- Volunteer Coordinator
Debbie Hart- Fresh Food Coordinator
Jennifer Niblack- Shelf-Stable Food Coordinator
Lynsie Stevens- Administrative Support and Special Item Coordinator
Community Context
Our 2025 Volunteers Are Amazing
Our work at Feeding Kids Cleveland County wouldn’t be possible without our amazing volunteers. Thanks to your time and effort, children and families across our community receive the food and essentials they need throughout the school year.
School Break Deliveries and Weekend Bags in 2025
Reading Kids Cleveland County’s Impact in 2025
2025 Community Table Thanksgiving Meals
In 2025, we changed the date of our annual Community Table Thanksgiving Meal from the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day to the Saturday before Thanksgiving to make it more accessible for attendees and volunteers. This decision was a great success!
On November 22, 2025, we served 1,547 meals to members of our community and partnered with over 34 local organizations, churches, and community groups. Each meal took place in a different area of Cleveland County in order to serve all of our neighbors. This year, we worked together to provide 6 meals at the following sites:
Jefferson Park
Bobby Bell Pavilion (NEW!)
Mt. Zion Baptist Church of Kings Mountain
Holly Oak Park
Burns High School (NEW!)
Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Waco
From those who prepared the food and donated money to those who set up tables and gave out hats and gloves to those who shared a meal with their neighbors, we thank you all for your time and dedication to make this a success in 2025.
We love seeing everyone come together for this special community meal. Our 2026 Community Table Thanksgiving Meal will take place on Saturday, November 21. See you there!
