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 “Fuel for Focus” 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.
“This project empowers every teacher across our elementary buildings with a confidential supply of nutritious snacks,” Bidges added.
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.”
