Food for Kids, an important partnership of Merrell and the Mast General Store, returns for its 14th year in 2023. Food is a basic building block of success for everyone, but it is especially important for children. Without proper nutrition during their formative years, a child can lose valuable progress with muscle and brain development. 

This year, Food for Kids begins Monday, October 16, and runs through Sunday, October 29. For every pair of Merrell footwear (not only boots, but shoes and sandals, too) purchased in-store and online, Mast Store is donating $15 to youth-focused programs at local food agencies. Additionally, guests can round up their purchases to the next dollar to provide even more support.  

According to Feeding America, there were more than nine million children who faced hunger in 2021. That equates to 1 in 8 kids at risk. Research by No Kid Hungry shows hunger is highest in the South. In Western North Carolina, 1 in 6 adults doesn’t know where their next meal is coming from, but on a more alarming note, the ratio rises to 1 in 4 children who are food insecure. 

“Merrell has been an important partner with us for more than a decade,” said Lisa Cooper, president of Mast Store. “Food for Kids helps raise awareness of the challenges facing our next generation and gives us an avenue to help through our local food distribution agencies. Every penny donated makes a positive impact on young lives!”    

Here's a list of our local partners, the store(s) they’re partnering with, and some brief information about what they do in our community, especially in regard to their kids’ programs: 

Hunger and Health Coalition – High Country (Original, Annex, and Boone): Hunger and Health Coalition serves all of Watauga County. It operates a backpack program through the local school system to provide food-insecure students with meals over weekends and holidays. 

Harvest Hope – Columbia: Harvest Hope is South Carolina’s largest food security agency and serves 22.6 million people in the Midland, Pee Dee, and Upstate regions. Its BackPack programs provide students with meals and nutritious after-school snacks. 

Loaves & Fishes – Greenville: Loaves & Fishes delivers more than 2.3 million pounds of food annually to Greenville County residents. It serves non-profit childcare centers and students in after-school and summer programs. 

MANNA FoodBank – Asheville, Hendersonville, and Waynesville: MANNA serves 16 counties in Western North Carolina. Its Feeding Kids Year Round program provides emergency food assistance to public school students throughout the region. 

Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC – Winston-Salem: Second Harvest of Northwest NC serves 18 counties in the Piedmont and Foothills of North Carolina. It provides 40 million plus meals each year and is a major source of food and support for more than 500 partners, including school-based pantries and weekend backpack programs for children. 

Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee – Knoxville: Second Harvest of East Tennessee serves 18 counties in its region. They operate a Food for Kids program that provides more than 13,500 students at 286 participating schools. 

Feeding Southwest Virginia – Roanoke: Feeding Southwest Virginia serves 26 counties in the state. In addition to after-school and summer feeding programs, they run a Kids’ Farmers Market program that provides free produce and nutrition education to children in need. 

This year’s Food for Kids is a new chance for people to discover local groups that dedicate themselves to fulfilling a basic need in our community – part of the foundation of health, safety, and happiness at home – by making sure children have sufficient, nutritious food to eat while they’re not at school. 

“With Merrell and our food security partners’ help, we can ensure a brighter future for our children and for us,” said Cooper, “Kids who aren’t hungry can more easily focus on schoolwork, participate in healthier play, and live more active lifestyles. We appreciate Merrell’s sustained support to help fill backpacks with food, stock kid cafes, and pack pantries.” 

Contact your local food bank to learn more about how you can help.

* Top photo by Austin Pacheo on Unsplash.