Alva Review-Courier -

Woods County, Okla. – Hunger must end before learning can begin. Through Sept. 30, the Masonic Fraternity of Oklahoma, Benvenuti’s Ristorante, David Gorham and two anonymous donors have offered to match all gifts to the Regional Food Bank’s Food for Kids program, up to $150,000.

“The Masonic Fraternity of Oklahoma is proud to be a part of the Food for Kids match again,” said Rick Allison, grand master. “One out of every four children in our state struggles with hunger, and that’s just unacceptable. We hope the community will take up this challenge and help us reach our goal so that hungry children have sufficient healthy, nutritious food to help improve their learning potential and their overall quality of life.”

Last school year, the Regional Food Bank provided millions of meals to chronically hungry children through Food for Kids childhood hunger program, which included the Backpack Program and School Pantry program.

“To the people that are donating, thank you so much,” said one Backpack Program school coordinator. “The difference this program makes is astounding. If you could reach inside your heart and help it would mean so much.”

Through the Backpack Program, children receive a backpack full of kid-friendly, non-perishable and nutritious food on Friday to sustain them over weekends and school holidays. During the 2015-16 school year, four schools in Woods County participated in the Backpack Program, which served 54 students. Participating schools included: Lincoln Elementary School, Longfellow Elementary School, Washington Elementary School and Waynoka Elementary School.

The School Pantry program provides chronically hungry middle and high school students with food to sustain them after school and over weekends. The School Pantry program served nearly 5,465 students at 165 schools last school year. During the 2015-16 school year, one school in Woods County participated in the School Pantry program, which served 11 students. The participating school was Alva Middle School.

“This match will help the Regional Food Bank fill backpacks with food for chronically hungry elementary school children and stock the shelves of middle and high school food pantries,” said Katie Fitzgerald, chief executive officer of the Regional Food Bank. “This special opportunity will double the impact of your gift. Food is the most essential school supply and your support is needed to ensure Oklahoma students have enough to eat this school year.”

To make a tax-deductible donation to Food for Kids visit foodforkids.us or call 405-600-3136. Thanks to the generous match, every $100 donated will support a child in the program for an entire school year.

Established in 1980, the Regional Food Bank is the largest domestic hunger-relief organization in the state of Oklahoma. Last fiscal year, the nonprofit distributed 52 million pounds of food and products through a network of more than 1,300 schools and charitable feeding programs in 53 central and western Oklahoma counties.