Snack Pak working for the weekend

KELLOGG — The assembly line of volunteers worked like a well-oiled machine, collecting two breakfast items, two main meals to go and some fruit and other snacks before depositing tied plastic bags at the end of the line.

Silver Valley Snack Pak has been around for about six years, helping students get enough food to make it through the weekend in Shoshone County when money is tight for families..

In 40 minutes, the small group knocked out 450 bags for three weeks of provisions to be handed out to about 150 kids at Pinehurst Elementary School over the next few weeks.

President Christy Jacobs and vice-president Michele Groves started the nonprofit group in an effort to streamline local efforts to provide students with meals outside school.

“We try to include stuff even a kindergartner could prepare themselves,” Jacobs said.

They saw a need when other programs were focused on getting ultra-healthy options for kids that many found unappetizing.

Bag fill nights lean on a group of 20 regular volunteers made up largely of Kiwanis members and church groups. Usually, the groups process about 600 bags once a month.

Beef sticks, ramen noodle cups, canned fruit or fruit cups, oatmeal and Spaghetti-O’s are popular items with the kids that even picky eaters like.

Costs over the last few years have doubled, with $2.50 per student being the starting cost for food six years ago. Today, it costs $5 for the same nonperishable items.

Jacobs said by keeping the bag fill events to once a month, she hopes to retain volunteers and make them feel like they’re making a difference with the kids.

“We have amazing volunteers in the community,” she said.

It costs over $30,000 to maintain the program annually, but Jacobs said the community donations keep coming in.

School secretary Sarah Mason serves as the student contact at Pinehurst Elementary handling distribution of the food bags. She tries to build a relationship at the school where the kids know they can ask for the bags. Forms go home at the beginning of the school year where families can sign up their kids, but family finances can change rapidly.

“I’ll have situations that change where maybe a family has moved into a camper to live for the rest of the school year and somebody will say, ‘Hey, did you know about so and so?’” Mason said.. 

Mason said it’s been wonderful to see the group hone in on food favorites for the kids so nothing goes to waste. If there are a few extra bags one week, those might go to younger siblings of Pinehurst students who aren’t yet in school. 

“For the most part, I feel like everybody gets covered fairly well,” Mason said.

The 2023 five county community health assessment through the Panhandle Health District showed that Shoshone County has the lowest median income at $43,188.

To donate to the Silver Valley Snack Pak Program, send checks to P.O. Box 81 Pinehurst, ID 83850.