Thank you, Marathon Anacortes Refinery, for raising $35,000 for the CHOW program
It all started with a phone call from an elementary school counselor ten years ago. She asked if there were any programs for kids over the weekends after noticing many students coming to school hungry on Mondays. What began as 10 boxes of food going to 10 families has grown to nearly 900 bags of food being delivered every week in Skagit County.
The full extent of childhood hunger in Skagit County is staggering. An estimated 38% of Skagit County families struggle to keep pace with the rising cost of household essentials such as food, according to National ALICE data. It’s easy to understand that children need nutritious food to excel in school, maintain their health, learn good behaviors, and reach their full potential.
Children need three meals a day along with nutritious snacks to fuel their brains and bodies. One child enrolled in the CHOW program shared how the bag of food allows them to eat over the weekend and reduces family stress. A mother shared, “It used to stress me out what the kids would eat over the weekend when not in school, and now with the bags delivered I don’t have to worry if our paychecks are lower than normal or food stamps have run out.”
In 2023, Helping Hands delivered over 75,000 bags of food, equating to 375,000 meals, to the children of Skagit County. One CHOW recipient, an athlete at a local high school, said, “Without those programs, I would not have enough food to play my sport.” Donors and volunteers take pride in the support they provide to young people like this.
Marathon Refinery has played a significant role in the success of the CHOW program. I want to thank the employees, vendors, and volunteers who make the Stuff the Bus fundraiser a huge success. I also want to extend my gratitude to the volunteers at Helping Hands who pack and deliver the bags each week. This is one of the most crucial programs at Helping Hands, and without the partners and volunteers, it wouldn’t be able to feed as many children as it does.
Together, we can continue to ensure that no child in Skagit County goes hungry. With Helping Hands’ purchasing power, just $1 can buy 25 pounds of food for CHOW bags, making your $25 monthly contribution go even further in fighting childhood hunger.
Warmest regards,
Becky