This past school year CHA piloted an Adopt-A-School program with Moler Elementary, a school within the Columbus City Schools district, and it was met with great success. The program began in mid-November and ran through the remainder of the school year. During that time approximately 25,500 weekend meals were given to over 300 students, all thanks to the generous support of The Champion Companies.
The Champion Companies, a real estate investment firm located in Columbus and long-time CHA partner, funded the program through their Champion Cares Foundation. The mission of the foundation is to support people within the community who need help. The goals for the Champion Cares Foundation were a good fit with the work done by CHA to feed children in need. The Champion Companies staff members also participated in CHA volunteer programs helping with meal distribution to children at the school, along with assisting at meal packing events.
The meal boxes, which consist of two breakfasts and three lunches/dinners, were very much appreciated by the students at Moler Elementary and their families. Many children do not have access to enough food for the weekend and looked forward to the weekly meal boxes distributed each Friday. Several families at the school are experiencing homelessness or students stay with different family members over the weekend, so these meals provide nutrition they might not have otherwise gotten.
In addition to the meals, every month two students (one boy and one girl) from each class were selected as a “Champion of the Month.” The students were recognized with this award by displaying acts of kindness, good attendance, and excellent behavior. The “Champions of the Month” received a certificate and $50 gift card, also funded by The Champion Companies Foundation.
Children’s Hunger Alliance is very grateful for the support from The Champion Companies for funding this pilot program and committing to Adopt-A-School for next year. We are hoping to grow our Adopt-A-School program for the 2022-2023 school year with additional partnerships across the state. If a
company is interested in Adopt-A-School, please contact our Development Office at development@childrenshungerallince.org.