The Wildcat Foundation extended its grant funding for the 2025-2026 school year with an additional grant award from its Food/Nutrition Designated Fund this spring.
Working with the Mechanicsburg Area School District’s Office of Student Services, the foundation issued a $10,000 grant to help create snack banks in the district’s four elementary school buildings as well as the Kindergarten Academy.
The money is made available from our Food/Nutrition Designated Fund thanks to donors from within the community and follows a $10,000 grant this past fall to help fortify the food pantries within the district.
“With a significant portion of our student population qualifying for free and reduced-price lunch (FRL), many arrive at or experience a mid-morning slump due to hunger, regardless of official meal programs. This project empowers every teacher across our elementary buildings with a confidential supply of nutritious snacks,” Director of Student Service Bethany Bridges said.
The grant funding will be distributed via an equity-based formula tied directly to each school’s FRL percentage, ensuring resources are maximized where the need is greatest.
A portion of the grant will be allotted to purchase containers to secure the food items for 148 teachers in grades K through 5, and the rest of the grant will be allotted for snacks.
“By eliminating hunger as a barrier, we will improve student concentration, reduce behavioral incidents, and maximize instructional time,” Bridges said. “Hunger is one of the most significant yet easily addressable non-academic barriers to learning.”
