Food, Volunteer Drive Supports Totes Of Hope

Totes of Hope is a program that aims to support food insecure children in the community.

In essence, those children who miss meals, because their families can't afford to feed them.

"So what this program aims to do, is to send home a bag of food every week to help bridge that gap from Friday to Monday when the kids aren't getting meals at school." Lori Burns, Natrona County School District program facilitator, says Totes of Hope, which launched last March, is currently feeding over 150 children with food filled totes that they carry home on weekends.

Burns says it costs about 4 dollars for a weekend to feed a child or 150 dollars for the school year. This month, in partnership with, Food Bank of the Rockies, the Natrona County Education Association is holding a month long food and cash drive.

"And you can take any nonperishable foods to the food bank in Mills and they will accept it and basically credit the Totes of Hope program. We're also accepting monetary donations to support the program."

She says they're also calling for monthly volunteers to help them pack up the totes .

"Every month on the third Wednesday of the month- so the next one coming up will be November 16th at 4pm- we package 800 bags for the next four weeks."

Burns says she never turns a volunteer away.

Partnering with the food bank, she says, means they get the most for their dollar. That adds up to more food for more kids.

Contact Natrona County School District, the Food Bank of the Rockies or check out the Casper Totes of Hope Facebook page.