The Kroger Company Foundation has donated $10,000 to support the Nourishing Network’s weekend meal and summer meal programs. Two $5,000 grants, one for each program, will help provide an estimated 91,000 meals for more than 300 children in 28 schools. A team of 38 volunteers from the Lynnwood and Shoreline Fred Meyer stores recently visited Nourishing Network food pantries to help assemble weekend meal kits for more than 100 homeless students. The Kroger Company, which includes Fred Meyer, aims to end hunger in communities it serves and eliminate food waste through the Zero Hunger-Zero Waste initiative introduced in 2017.

Earlier this fall the Foundation was awarded a $25,000 Rite Aid Foundation KidCents Regional Grant to expand Nourishing Network food and family assistance programs. It is one of 15 Washington state non-profits to receive funding. KidCents Regional Grants support three areas of focus for improving the health and wellbeing of children: healthy eating, active living and education.

“As the number of students experiencing hunger and homeless in our district grows, so too does our need for additional resources to fund and expand our food assistance programs,” said Deborah Brandi, Foundation Executive Director. “The Nourishing Network began as a weekend meal program but has grown to include a summer meal program, monthly pop-up pantries as well as comprehensive supports for our district’s most vulnerable students and their families. We thank The Rite Aid Foundation for helping to fund these essential services.”

Last month, more than 70 high school students took part in Trade Up! to learn about careers in skilled vocational trades as an alternative to college. The event was hosted by the Edmonds School District in partnership with the Foundation and Snohomish County Labor Council. Throughout the day, students met with industry representatives and rotated through hands-on activities featuring more than a dozen skilled trades including construction, carpentry, masonry, and sheet metal.

This is the first year that ESD has hosted Trade Up! which was established in 2014 to encourage high school students nearing graduation to consider trade apprenticeships. Funding support was provided through the Foundation's Creative Classroom grant program. Read more on our website.

Education changes lives, and you can, too. We’ve recently launched a new monthly giving program, the TASSEL Giving Circle. Enroll in TASSEL at a level that’s right for you and know that your ongoing gift benefits all children in our district from our littlest learners to graduating seniors. For as little as $13 per month, you can help shape a child’s future starting today. Please join other TASSEL members because Together, All Students Succeed, Excel and Learn. 

The Foundation’s Legacy Circle recognizes individuals and families who have chosen to support our mission through a planned gift. We’re proud to welcome our newest Legacy Circle donors, Tom Mayer and Jeanne Thorsen. There are many ways to include the Foundation in financial planning. A professional advisor can explain the options as well as benefits such as tax savings and income potential. If you would like to learn more, contact Deborah Brandi by email or phone at 425.431.7260.

Gifts to the Foundation may be made online or by mail sent to PO Box 390, Lynnwood, WA 98046. Thank you.