DCCW feeds hungry kids with new program

SALT LAKE CITY — Since its beginning in September, the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women’s Fill a Box collection campaign has already exceeded its goal of gathering 150 boxes of food to donate for lunches to give to low-income children to take home over the weekend.

“This was just such a great adventure,” said Marcie Downs, DCCW president, adding that when the DCCW was looking for a new project last year, they couldn’t think of a worthier goal than to feed hungry kids.

The idea for the Fill a Box campaign came from Lisa Adamson, the DCCW’s Service Commission chairperson, who was inspired by the amount of food collected by food banks around the state to feed hungry families and kids, Adamson said. Many people in America can’t imagine not having enough to eat, she said.

“We have such an abundance of food that we take for granted what we have,” she said.

One in five children go hungry on the weekend, and this can lead to a multitude of problems for them, she said.

“If (kids) are in school and all they can think about is being hungry, they can’t concentrate” on things like their classwork, Adamson said. “If you’re hungry, that affects every part of your day.”

In suggesting that the DCCW implement the Fill a Box campaign, Adamson thought that if everyone would spend an extra $20 a month, or at least grab one thing at the grocery store to donate to hungry kids, it would go a long way toward beginning to solve this hunger problem, she said.

The response from the parishes has been nothing short of incredible, Adamson said. She recalled asking a friend to drive to St. John the Baptist Parish to pick up what they had collected for the campaign. “When he arrived in his SUV, he said, ‘Oh my gosh, I need to get my truck!’” she said.

The donations from that parish alone filled an entire flatbed truck, Adamson said.

 The campaign has already gathered 154 boxes of food, exceeding the original goal, and more are expected to be gathered before the collection ends. The deadline for the collection will be decided by the DCCW in June.

For information on how to donate to the Fill a Box campaign, contact Lisa Adamson at adamsonjudy@hotmail.com.