Meals 'til Monday - Latest Blog Entries

Keeping Hunger on the Run 10-26-13

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:51:00 -0500

It is time to check out the details for the 4th Annual Race Fundraiser - Keeping Hunger on the Run - Saturday 10/26/13. New this year - chip timing, extended early entry deadline, & the early entry fee is lower than last year. It is not too soon to sign up. Once your committed, you'll work even harder at your training! Jog on over to this page to find more information.

Sponsorships Needed for the 2013 5k & Half Marathon Fundraiser

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 08:55:00 -0500

Meals 'til Monday is currently seeking sponsors for the 2013 5k and Half Marathon Race Fundraiser to be held October 26, 2013. There are three different levels of sponsorship, and giving could include items for the race participants' sacks, door prizes, and monetary donations. If you or someone you know may be interested in being a part of "Keeping Hunger on the Run" through sponsorship, please see and print off the letter available here.

Deatails about the race and how to sign up will be coming soon!

Community Garage Sale Fundraiser

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:02:00 -0500

Saturday, March 30 is the community garage sale sponsored by the Elida High School Student Council. The sale is from 11 am - 4 pm at the Elida Field House. Come do some shopping and stop by the MTM table to say hi, see some of our brochures and a sample sack of the food the kids receive, or purchase a MTM logo shirts. Proceeds from the garage sale and shirt sales will benefit Meals 'til Monday. We hope to see you there!

Family Bowling Night

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 19:32:00 -0500

We hope you will make plans to join us at the Family Bowling Night sponsored by Temple Christian School this Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 6:30 pm. All proceeds from this event will benefit MTM, and it is a great deal for your family.

COST: $10 for adults, $8 for kids - Includes all you can bowl, all you can eat pizza & unlimited pop for 2 hours for up to 6 people per lane.

We hope to fill up every lane with MTM supporters. To reserve your lane(s), please contact Westgate at 419-227-7231.

We'll see you there!

Upcoming Fundraisers

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 07:03:00 -0600

Please take a moment to visit our Events and Fundraisers page to see details for several upcoming fundraisers. Thank you to the following schools for planning events to benefit and raise awareness for Meals 'til Monday: Bath, Elida, and Temple Christian.

How does it work?

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 11:42:00 -0600

We've just added a new page to our website called "The Routine". If you've ever wondered how the food gets from the warehouse at the West Ohio Food Bank into over 300 elementary kids' backpacks in 8 different school buildings, then you'll want to check out the step by step process that is MTM's weekly routine during the school year.

Your Christmas Gifts Sponsor 10 Children

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 03:02:00 -0600

Thank you so much to the many wonderful people who chose to honor a friend or family member through a monetary donation for Christmas 2012. 77 honorees are now listed here. We invite you to check out the list. There might be someone you know! The total amount donated was $1,463.00. Meals 'til Monday pays $3.50 per sack of food for each child each weekend, so this amount will purchase 418 sacks. $140 sponsors a student for an entire school year, which means 10 students are sponsored through this fundraiser, with some money left over. We think that is a great Christmas gift! We're grateful for those who gave this unique gift this year and for the way it will benefit local elementary students.

Even though this fundraiser is complete, we welcome donations all year long. For information on giving to Meals 'til Monday, please visit this page of our website.

3 Easy Fundraisers Just in Time for Christmas!

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 06:34:00 -0600

Your shopping list is long, and we'd like to help you shorten it! Our Events and Fundraisers page will direct you to a Thirty-One Gifts fundraiser that ends 11-26-12, a way to honor friends and family this Christmas for as low as $3.50, and a link to our snazzy logo shirts for sale in 3 styles and many sizes. The wide variety of options will certainly provide you with some ways to meet your Christmas shopping needs. Plus, when you shop or give using one of these fundraisers, you are contributing to Meals 'til Monday, which provides weekend food for nearly 300 children in 8 different elementary schools.

Please check out these fundraisers today, and be sure to spread the word to your friends and family. Thank you!

Welcome Spencerville

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:16:00 -0500

We're excited to announce that Meals 'til Monday is expanding once again. On Friday, September 28, 2012, Spencerville Elementary will have their first distribution. A key element in making this happen again in a new school district is the willingness of that school and community to step up and do what is needed to partner with us. Those who continue to give, pray, and volunteer for this organization are also very responsible for moving us into our 7th partner district. We praise God for the many people who come along side Meals 'til Monday to feed local children. Thank you all and welcome Spencerville!

5k & 1/2 Marathon Race Fundraiser

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:12:00 -0500

Registration is open for the 2012 race fundraiser on Saturday, October 27, 2012. We hope you will be a part of *Keeping Hunger on the Run*! Early entry deadline is September 15, 2012 (just over a month away). Be sure to enter by this date to have a lower fee and guarantee yourself a race shirt. A lunch from Subway is provided for all participants. Register on line at www.active.com or download an entry form and mail it in.

Help us get the word out by printing off posters here. Hang them in your work place, school, church, or local businesses such as grocery stores and banks. We appreciate you helping out with the leg work of advertising this fundraiser!

Check Out the Latest Fundraisers

Thu, 03 May 2012 21:24:00 -0500

If you would like to have some pictures of your loved ones taken and raise money for MTM at the same time, please check out this link for more details.

Planning to get your child's teacher a thank you gift at the end of the school year but do not know what to buy? Is an educator retiring, and you want to honor them? Thankful for a bus driver that safely transports your kiddos day after day to and from school? We have the perfect, affordable, and unique way to tell them how you feel. Please check out this link for more details.

Dine Out to Raise Funds

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:33:00 -0600

Want to eat out this week? We hope you will mark your calendar for Wednesday, December 7, 2011 and head to Buffalo Wild Wings. Before you do, print out this coupon to take with you. When you present it, 15% of your bill will be donated to the Elida Optimist Club, who have graciously chosen MTM to benefit from their Christmas giving this year. Print the coupons, share them with everyone you see, and enjoy a meal out 12-7-11.

Dodge Balls to Dodge Hunger

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:43:00 -0600

The Elida High School Student council invites you to form a team and enter a dodge ball tournament on Sunday, December 4, 2011 at Elida High School at 2:00 pm. Visit this page of our website for more details, or contact Bryan Horn at bhorn@elida.k12.oh.us. Entry forms can be downloaded here. Proceeds will benefit all the schools who partner with MTM. Don't want to participate, but know a group that would? Why not pass on this information to them or even offer to help pay their entry fees? It is sure to be a high energy day! Come and join in the fun as a participant or a spectator!

Keeping Hunger on the Run

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 07:30:00 -0500

5K & Half Marathon early entries must be postmarked by September 30, 2011. If you are planning on entering, why not do so right now? The entry fee will go up after 9.30.11. Visit the race page of our website for race detials, to download entry & pledge forms, or for a link to register on line. Your early entry is a huge help to the race committee. Thank you so much to those who have already entered!

Don't want to compete, but you'd like to be a part of this fundraiser? Here are a couple ways:

*We could still use some door prizes. If you or someone you know would like to donate a prize, please email us at mealstilmonday@yahoo.com.

*The race page has a link for you to print off a flyer advertising the race. Help us get the word out by printing off and distributing or posting as many of these as you can.

Keeping Hunger on the Run

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:13:00 -0500

This year's race fundraiser will be a 5k and a 1/2 Marathon. More details about the race can be found on our website. We are currently seeking sponsorships at a few different levels. The sponsor letter can be downloaded on the race page.

A recent write up found here is advertising the race and helping us get the word out about Meals 'til Monday.

We hope you will find a way to be involved with this fundraiser!

Our Wonderful Partners

Fri, 27 May 2011 06:49:00 -0500

We need to recognize several who have given generously over the past few months.

Lima Temple Christian school and Dollar General conducted food drives. Due to their help, two weeks of sacks were packed at no cost to MTM. The donations from Dollar General will continue through May 31, 2011, which means we will start the 2011-12 school year with food ready and waiting for us.

The Lima Junior Service League, a great organization dedicated to promoting literacy among children, donated books for each of our MTM recipients. How excited the kids will be when they get a brand new story book along with their sack of food this week.

Webb Insurance, Thin & Healthy, Perry Local Schools, Lima Rotary, and OmniSource have all recently made donations from fundraisers they organized.

Thank you so much! Your partnership has made a significant impact, and we are so grateful. Thank you also to the many individuals that give either a one time gift or faithfully continue to make donations. It is making a big difference in the lives of 191 children!

OmniSource Fundraiser

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 07:43:00 -0500

Do you have metal to recycle? Please take it to OmniSource Saturday, April 16 - Thursday, April 21, 2011 to benefit MTM & you! All of the details for this fundraiser can be found here.

Interview with Michelle Leach

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 06:47:00 -0500

Students at Bath Elementary received their weekend meals for the first time last week. MTM works closely with the guidance counselors at the schools. They determine the need and oversee the selection of students for this program. Michelle Leach is the guidance counselor at Bath, and we recently asked her a few questions to continue our education about hunger in our area.

MTM: How long have you been a guidance counselor? What led you to the decision to choose this job?

ML: This is currently my second year at Bath Elementary as a school counselor, and I absolutely love it! I am convinced there is no better "job" to have. Honestly, I truly do not even think of my position as a job, because I am so fortunate to assist students, faculty, and parents everyday! Everyday is a blessing to help Bath Elementary students strive to reach their fullest potential in every aspect of his/her life.

Actually prior to becoming a guidance counselor, I was an eighth grade math teacher. As a teacher, I tried so hard to meet every need of my students while still pushing them academically. I found the rapport that was developed with some of my students was so critical in developing the student into a happy, successful student! As a guidance counselor now, I try to reach out to every student and focus on the skills and attitudes needed for an individual's successful academic achievement, career development, and personal/social growth.

MTM: Please share with us the indicators you see when a child is lacking enough to eat or proper nutrition.

ML: There is no doubt that children are coming to school hungry. This is not a problem that is isolated in certain areas. We all have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, which makes students concentrate and gain significant knowledge throughout the school day. In reality, every meal is important! When a child is lacking enough to eat or proper nutrition, a child becomes extremely distracted, unable to focus, and then possibly becomes a "behavior" problem within the classroom. Children who are fed have the best opportunity to reach his/her fullest potential.

In my opinion, there are two types of students who come to school hungry:

-The first is the openly outward student who admits that he or she is hungry. There is no denial that he or she does not eat. However, at the same time, these are the students who are truly so appreciative of programs like Meals 'til Monday or even a granola bar from a teacher's desk.

-The second is the student who will not openly discuss if he/she is hungry, however if it comes up in conversation they will disclose this important information. They are students who do not complain of their hunger and are usually well cared for.

Just a story to share, a student came into his classroom so very excited! The teacher then began to ask why he was so excited... his response, because we can use our food stamps tomorrow and we will have food in our house again.

MTM: Why were you willing to take on the extra work and make time to partner with Meals 'til Monday?

MI: We feel so fortunate that Meals 'til Monday were willing to take Bath Elementary into their program. I also need to thank Meals 'til Monday for the opportunity I had as I was able to witness the look on our children's faces when I briefly explained the program and its opportunity. The students were so appreciative, excited, and thankful – all in one! Giving the opportunity to our students at Bath Elementary to be a recipient for Meals 'til Monday was honestly one of the highlights of my guidance career. Thank you for allowing me to be part of your wonderful work! Our community is so fortunate to have the Meals 'til Monday outreach, because our response has been nothing but positive!

MTM: What are you hoping to see happen as a result of these meals being distributed?

ML: As a result of Meals being distributed, I hope to see both teachers and students seeing the positive effects of a fed child through greater attentiveness, fewer behavior problems, and a happy, confident, successful student.

MTM: What would you like people to know about the kids who are coming to school hungry?

ML: We know for many families this is a tough economic time. Unfortunately, a hungry child seems to be a student at a disadvantage. There is no one certain look of hunger, besides the child internally thinking about when his/her next meal may be. All children deserve the right to eat, but for some households, it just isn't that easy.

MTM: Thank you so much Michelle for taking the time to answer these questions. Distributing meals is a big part of what MTM does, but this organization also has the goal of raising awareness of the hunger needs in our area, increasing compassion, and seeing others' needs as more important than our own. "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." Philippians 2:3

Photo Session Fundraiser

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 08:24:00 -0500

The details are now available on our website for a fundraiser sponsored by Jessica Green of Loving Life Visions. Please check out our Events page to find our more information. If you are considering getting some pictures taken, this is a fun and practical way to make a donation to Meals 'til Monday.

The Contributions of Many

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 09:45:00 -0500

Long overdue is the recognition of the many donors that provide the funding of Meals 'til Monday. We have added a page to our website where you can go and see the local businesses, organizations, and churches that have given needed items and monetary donations.