A Wichita-based company has donated thousands of dollars to a local program that provides meals to children in need of healthy food at the end of summer.
Following a calendar change by Wichita Public Schools that delayed the start of the school year, organizers for the Filling the Gap Lunches for Kids program were seeking donations to provide more than 800 kids with food for an additional week. But thanks to Fugate Enterprises, a Wichita-based company that provides management services to Pizza Hut and Taco Bell franchises, the program is no longer short on funds. The company donated the necessary $12,000 to the Kansas Food Bank and Partners for Wichita to provide meals to the children.
“As a Wichita-based company with over 60 restaurant locations in and around Wichita, we understand the need to help feed hungry children in the community,” Geoff Graves, Senior Director of Operations for Fugate Enterprises, said in a release. “We are proud to kick off our upcoming Kansas Food Bank fundraiser with a donation and we hope it continues to bring awareness to the importance of programs like Filling the Gap and Food 4 Kids.”
Filling the Gap started seven years ago to help provide meals to kids during the break between when the USDA Summer Food Service Program ended and when school begins. The program has 16 locations in the Wichita area.
"The Kansas Food Bank identified that there was this break in time when children who relied on the summer meal program did not have a place to get a meal,” Brian Walker, President & CEO of the Kansas Food Bank, said in the news release. “We are honored to work with Partners for Wichita on this program, which also serves meals during spring break when kids are not in school, and we are so thankful to our friends at Fugate for their commitment to child hunger.”
Filling the Gap will serve meals to children for three weeks between August 1 and August 19.
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