Feb. 1, 2021

Snack Pack Milk Drive
Posted on 02/01/2021

We need your help to provide milk to our Snack Pack kids this Spring!

More than 400 elementary-aged kids enrolled in the Snack Packs program receive individual servings of shelf-stable white milk and chocolate milk each weekend, along with an assorted menu of non-perishable food items that can be easily prepared without adult supervision. Due to nationwide dairy supply chain changes and an increased demand for shelf-stable milk products during COVID-19, the budgeted needs of the Snack Packs program are on the rise. And so are the number of students and families seeking nutritional support this spring. While we anticipated serving about 400 students by the end of the school year, but we've already topped that number and continue to rise.
 

Whether the higher numbers of hungry students can be attributed to pandemic-related hardships, unemployment or other local factors, the outcome remains the same: a need for additional community support to fund the growing need.

The per-unit price of shelf-stable milk has nearly doubled since this time last year, meaning that one week’s worth of milk will cost roughly $860.

Milk served in Bright Futures Joplin’s Snack Packs is bottled using Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) processing or ultra-pasteurization techniques that create a nearly-sterile product which can be stored at room temperature for six to nine months without sacrificing quality or taste. These milk products meet dietary guidelines for calories, protein, sugars, vitamins and minerals, while remaining unspoiled all weekend or over long holiday breaks for students who may not have access to reliable refrigeration at home.

Even at a newly increased price point, we’d like to continue serving shelf-stable milk to our food-insecure kiddos as long as possible to help maintain the nutritional benefits of our Snack Packs.

To do so, we are asking for your help!

Businesses, churches or clubs wishing to help sponsor a one week supply of milk can do so by contacting [email protected]. Groups are also invited to hold their own Milk Drives, collecting individual 8oz. serving-sized bottles or cartons of shelf-stable white and chocolate milk. Brand names of acceptable UHT milks that are typically sold in local stores are Horizon Organic, Parmalat, Lala, and Fairlife, but any 8oz UHT white milk or chocolate milk product is appreciated.

Monetary donations will be accepted via mail to Bright Futures Joplin, 825 S. Pearl Ave., Joplin, MO 64801; or here on our website.

Thank you for helping us care for Joplin's hungry students!