About Us
About
NWI No Child Hungry
NWI No Child Hungry was created to help local students who are food-insecure. Food-insecurity means children (and adults) may not have a reliable source to a sufficient amount of food. In our area, many students rely on the food they receive during the school week to sustain them through the weekend.
At NWI No Child Hungry, we work to provide a more stable solution for each child in our area. We provide Buddy Bags, which help offset hunger during weekends and extended breaks. These bags are funded by our wonderful sponsors and donors.
Our mission is to fight:
- Food insecurity
- Hunger
- Food anxiety
About
NWI No Child Hungry
NWI No Child Hungry was created to help local students who are food-insecure. Food-insecurity means children (and adults) may not have a reliable source to a sufficient amount of food. In our area, many students rely on the food they receive during the school week to sustain them through the weekend.
Our mission is to fight:
- Food insecurity
- Hunger
- Food anxiety
At NWI No Child Hungry, we work to provide a more stable solution for each child in our area. We provide Buddy Bags, which help offset hunger during weekends and extended breaks. These bags are funded by our wonderful sponsors and donors.
Save Children From Hunger
"The meaning of life is to find your gift.
The purpose of life is to give it away."
-Pablo Picasso
About
BUDDY BAGS
The Buddy Bag program helps to fight hunger! Every weekend during the school year, we provide Buddy Bags to students in need. Buddy Bags are kid-friendly sacks of food. In each bag, students get a shelf-stable breakfast, lunch, dinner, fruit cup, applesauce, sweet snack, and salty snack.
Each student who participates in the Buddy Bag program receives food for Saturday & Sunday. This ensures each child has access to food to offset hunger throughout the weekend until the school week starts again. Children need access to secure food sources every day of the week, and we make it our mission to ensure they have that.
The Buddy Bag system is:
Our method of distribution is through each school which allows families to remain anonymous to our organization. We get numbers, not names, from the schools’ offices in order to maintain a family’s privacy.
We understand that many families struggle. This should never be shamed. Instead, we work with our local schools to foster the assistance, support, and security that local children need. We strive to keep every interaction positive and discrete so that our area children can feel safe.
Working with our sponsors, we are able to provide every Buddy Bag to our local students for free. Our goal is to provide a reliable, accessible food source for children who may not otherwise be able to access food. That’s why we keep our program at no cost to each enrolled student.
Schools are also able to join our program free of charge. We do not require any financial commitments from the local schools or families that utilize our program. Currently, we are serving schools in portions of Lake and Porter Counties.
About
BUDDY BAGS
The Buddy Bag program helps to fight hunger! Every weekend during the school year, we provide Buddy Bags to students in need. Buddy Bags are kid-friendly sacks of food. In each bag, students get a shelf-stable breakfast, lunch, dinner, fruit cup, applesauce, sweet snack, and salty snack.
Each student who participates in the Buddy Bag program receives food for Saturday & Sunday. This ensures each child has access to food to offset hunger throughout the weekend until the school week starts again. Children need access to secure food sources every day of the week, and we make it our mission to ensure they have that.
The Buddy Bag system is:
Our method of distribution is through each school which allows families to remain anonymous to our organization. We get numbers, not names, from the schools’ offices in order to maintain a family’s privacy.
We understand that many families struggle. This should never be shamed. Instead, we work with our local schools to foster the assistance, support, and security that local children need. We strive to keep every interaction positive and discrete so that our area children can feel safe.
Working with our sponsors, we are able to provide every Buddy Bag to our local students for free. Our goal is to provide a reliable, accessible food source for children who may not otherwise be able to access food. That’s why we keep our program at no cost to each enrolled student.
Schools are also able to join our program free of charge. We do not require any financial commitments from the local schools or families that utilize our program. Currently, we are serving schools in portions of Lake and Porter Counties.
Give a man a fish
He eats for the day
Primarily, our goal is to provide a food source for local children who are food-insecure. We partner with area schools who invite students in-need into the program. Then, we give them Buddy Bags to help fight hunger on weekends and holiday breaks.
No one should ever have to go to bed hungry, especially a child. Buddy Bags help fight hunger so local children can rest easier. Throughout the weekend, Buddy Bags provide food to help offset the worries and fear associated with food insecurity.
With the help of our sponsors, we are able to provide enough food for approximately 800 students in Northwest Indiana across 15 different schools. Our impact grows year after year, and we are thankful for the opportunity that our sponsors provide.
TEACH A MAN TO FISH
He eats for a LIFETIME
While our primary task is delivering Buddy Bags to local kids, we also strive to empower local communities to start their own food assistance programs. In November 2023, we launched a new program called “Empower Forward.” We work with local schools to build their own buddy bag programs. This allows us to help more struggling students by increasing the reach of this program. While we work with them, we are providing Buddy Bags to their students with the most significant need.
We will work alongside schools and individuals in the region to bring food assistance to more and more children in Northwest Indiana. Our hope is that, by raising awareness and empowering others, we can reach even more children so that no kid has to be hungry.
We are thankful for our sponsors, who allow us to expand our reach and help more kids every year. We look forward to continued growth and a greater impact in the coming years.
MEET OUR board members
Gretchen Mercer
President
Although I didn't realize it at the time, I was food insecure as a child. My parents had four mouths to feed on a low-income. We ate the food that was available for the week and when it was gone, we just "figured it out." My favorite sandwich was potato chip and mayo! I am a speech-pathologist turned entrepreneur. I have two children, William & Addisen and we have lived in Lakes of Four Seasons since 2006.
Hannah Cliver
Co-Vice President
My father was the sole provider for our family of six. He worked 14 hour days to put food on the table. His dedication and work ethic are what molded me into the person I am today. My family would have benefited greatly from a program like NWI No Child Hungry's Buddy Bags. I am excited to be a part of this in our community!
Kim Starcevich
Co-Vice President
Kim Starcevich is a proud mother of three amazing adult daughters and a lifelong resident of Northwest Indiana. She began her career teaching Head Start in Hammond, Indiana, and saw first-hand the impact hunger had on her students and their families. Now, as a local small business owner, she passionately supports the efforts of NWI No Child Hungry and is proud to serve on its board.
Danielle Lenson
Co-Secretary
Danielle lives in Lakes of Four Seasons with her husband, Jake and daughter, Ann. She is passionate about event planning and serving her community. Danielle was looking for a creative outlet to host events and support a local charity. When Danielle was introduced to NWI No Child Hungry and the work they do with local children in need, Danielle felt a match was made! Now, five years and several successful events later, she is now on the Board of Directors and continues to have a passion for high-quality event planning and helping feed local children who are food insecure.
Kelly Swallers
Treasurer
I grew up listening to stories from my Dad of his family’s battle with food insecurities as a child. I would look at his childhood pictures and see his clothes hanging off his malnourished body. I am so thankful that NWI No Child Hungry exists today and I’m honored to be a part of it! I am a retired nurse of 25 years. I have lived in Lakes of Four Seasons for 30 years with my husband Tim where we have raised our 2 daughters Alex and Samantha.