Meals in a Backpack to help Taylor County families

Taylor County school children and their families will start off the school year with full bellies thanks to generous donations from Taylor County businesses and community members.

Over 1,200 children in Taylor County schools qualify for free or reduced-price meals. For many of these children, school meals may be the only meals they eat. That’s why the Meals in a Backpack program was formed. Through the generosity of the community, kids and families in need will have access to food when away from school.

SOAR students pack the backpacks with food – offering them an amazing learning experience about service to their community. The SOAR program is for students with special needs between the ages of 18-21. This unique opportunity helps to maximize the community’s resources.

“The Meals in a Backpack program has been supporting students and families in Taylor County for many years,” says Joseph Greget, Director of Student Services and Special Education for Medford Public Schools. “Thank you to the donors who not only help feed the community, but also help encourage our SOAR students with a terrific opportunity to give back to the community.”

Campaign donors, and the people that support them, include Marathon Cheese, Forward Bank, Sacred Heart Catholic Church CCW, Klinner Insurance, Enerquip, Prevail Bank, Abby Bank, Taylor Credit Union, Larry Brandl, Community United Church of Christ, Medford Cooperative, Nestle, Thrivent Financial, and Taylor County United Way.

If you’d like to make a one-time or recurring monetary donation to the ongoing efforts of this program or other programs the United Way of Taylor County supports, please visit www.uwtaylor.org and click DONATE.