COVID-19: Help Feed Kids
With hundreds of thousands of children and youth out of school across the Upper Midwest, school districts and non-profits are stepping up to provide both food and emotional/spiritual support in this time of need. Many of these students rely on their schools to not only provide two meals a day, but also to provide a safe space and loving adult relationships that may be lacking at home. We’ve worked with members of the community whom comprise the NCF Twin Cities Generosity Council to identify a handful of organizations that they would recommend.
Link Back to the NCF Twin Cities COVID-19 Landing Page
Sheridan Story
Fighting child hunger through community and school partnerships by providing weekend and other food gap programs serving over 10,000 children across 300 locations. One of the largest local non-government nutrition responses working with over 31 school districts in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. With school closures expected to last at least 6-8 weeks, hundreds of thousands of children are living with increased food insecurity.
Every $100 makes it possible for 25 children to receive meals.
How to Help:
About/Crisis Response
Donate or grant directly from your NCF Giving Fund
Pack Bags in Small Groups
Metro Meals on Wheels
An association of 32 Meals on Wheels programs in MN metro areas, leading the effort to provide seniors and people with disabilities with regular healthy meals and human connection.
How to Help:
$100 provides approximately 17 meals.
About
Donate or grant directly from your NCF Giving Fund
Be an On-Call Driver
Second Harvest Heartland
Ending hunger through community partnerships. One of the nation’s largest, most efficient, most innovative hunger relief organizations, procuring food from manufacturers, farmers, hotels, restaurants and food drives and distributing to agency partners including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, meal programs and after school programs.
How to Help:
Your gift of $50 can provide 150 meals
About/Crisis Response
Donate or grant directly from your NCF Giving Fund
Treehouse
Helping teens in MN and beyond build resiliency rooted in the living hope of Jesus through relationships with caring adults and peers. During this time of uncertainty, fear and quarantine, kids experiencing depression, anxiety and broken homes are experiencing hopelessness more acutely. If you know a teenager that would benefit from connecting with Treehouse, go to https://treehousehope.org/where-we-are/ . Find a location near them and use the contact information listed on the location page to reach out.
How to Help:
About
Donate or grant directly from your NCF Giving Fund
Volunteer
Connected Families
Helping parents connect well with their children and pass on their faith and values through online courses, books, parent coaching, seminars and workshops. The Connected Families’ team provides biblically-based live and virtual mentoring that brings hope families.
How to Help:
About
Donate or grant directly from your NCF Giving Fund
Hope Academy
Started in 2000, Hope Academy is a private, Christ-centered, classical academy founded as an opportunity-equalizer for urban youth. Today Hope serves 550 students in grades K-12, with a vision of growing to 700 students. Their mission is to foster hope in God in the inner-city by providing youth with a remarkable, Christ-centered education.
In response to the Coronavirus outbreaks, Hope Academy is providing…
Food: Many families at Hope Academy rely on school breakfast and lunch for their children. Hope is working on a system to deliver meals to families most in need during this time.
Childcare: Hope Academy is connecting families who need childcare to those who can help provide it. They are also offering childcare for the children of health care providers and emergency responders.
Additional Support: Teachers will be checking in with families at least twice a week. Other staff plan to make home visits to ensure the continued well-being and progress of our students. Teachers and staff will notify our support team of families in crisis, and how we can help.
How to Help:
Give to the Hope Academy Crisis Relief Fund: Funds will be used to meet the emerging needs of our families during this crisis, such as food, gas, rent assistance, and more. Donate here (under “Campaign,” select “Hope Academy Crisis Relief Fund”).
PULSE
PULSE is a next generation evangelism, prayer, and discipleship movement on mission to empower the Church and awaken culture to the reality of Jesus.
Launched in January, the Move Closer app is designed for digital one-to-one and small group discipleship and includes messages from Francis Chan, Nick Hall, Ravi Zacharias, and more.
If you know teenagers that could use some encouragement, send them to… movecloser.org.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nick Hall and the Pulse team launched “The Bible Quarantine”—a daily video series on social media to offer encouragement and Scripture. They’ve already had more than 100,000 views in their first week of episodes. Students can connect at facebook.com/nickhallpulse or instagram.com/nickhallpulse.
The team is transitioning many in-person gatherings to online events—continuing to build community and share the Hope of Jesus. Over the next six weeks, Pulse will be live-streaming Revivial Nights, Together Rallies, National Day of Prayer, and more.
How to Help:
Pulse is investing heavily in their digital ministry efforts and need funding for podcast equipment, video equipment, and creative team/contractors. Additionally, as they move toward online gatherings, there are additional costs associated with video and live stream services.
Donate or grant directly from your NCF Giving Fund