In the spirit of International Youth Day, we recognize and celebrate all of the young people who have helped us in our mission to put food in the hands of kids who need it. The UN’s theme for International Youth Day this year is Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health, which aims to highlight that the participation of young people is vital to the success of this global effort. The kids and teens at Filling in the Blanks are doing just that!
Over the years, we’ve seen many creative initiatives benefiting Filling in the Blanks started by kids of all ages who are eager to help those in need. Every week, we see young people volunteering their free time to help us pack meal bags in the warehouse. On the back end, our interns help us oversee operations so we can continue to expand our reach and support as many children as possible. Read on to learn more about some of these changemakers and how they’ve supported Filling in the Blanks.
Lindsay made and donated 80 children’s masks to Filling in the Blanks during the pandemic. A month later, she created a GoFundMe page and raised enough money to buy 23 new backpacks for our Holiday Backpack Program.
Cole has been volunteering at the warehouse every Wednesday since March and this summer he’s been there every Wednesday AND Thursday!
Lauren created a fundraiser selling handmade thank you cards to benefit Filling in the Blanks.
CeCe and Julia held a series of bake sales throughout the school year and raised enough funds to provide 342 meals to children in need.
If you know a young person who wants to make a difference in their community, click here to learn how they can get involved!