Filling Tummies, One Food Box at a Time at Kidzz Helping Kidzz Food Drive
- Kidzz Helping Kidzz
- Apr 6
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 8
At Kidzz Helping Kidzz, we like to think of ourselves as part superhero, part community cheer squad. Every spring, our Youth Advisory Board takes the lead, tackling one of Kitsap County’s biggest challenges: youth food insecurity.
Since 2018, fighting hunger has been a core mission for our board. We’ve teamed up with the Bremerton Backpack Brigade, a nonprofit making sure students across eight Bremerton elementary schools get weekend meals. With 286 families relying on the Brigade each week, the need is clear—and growing.
Expanding Our Reach: The 2026 Food Drive
Food insecurity still affects thousands of families in Kitsap County—around 30,890 residents, including over 9,000 kids. As prices climb, families are stretching every grocery dollar, and our community’s kids need a little extra help to fill their plates. That’s why we launched our third annual Kidzz Helping Kidzz Food Drive, led by our Youth Advisory Board, focusing on low-income families in Bremerton and South Kitsap.
In February, our youth leaders (ages 10-18) gathered for a full-on strategy session.
Maps? ... Check!
Plans? ... Check!
Big ideas? ... Double Check!!
These young problem-solvers are steering the ship, and the energy in the room was contagious.
Boxes, Tape, and Creativity
Our food drive officially kicked off with a flurry of tape, posters, and markers. Ninety boxes. Miles of tape. Each box got its own logo, poster, and artistic touch. When you see a collection box at a local coffee shop, grocery store, or clinic, know it was carefully decorated by youth leading the effort—some probably with tape still on their elbows!
Noah even got taped up to a table to help—and he loved it!
Our goal was 80 boxes. Thanks to incredible community support, we surpassed that goal—86 boxes were placed throughout local businesses, schools, and organizations to collect food for families in need.
Meet the Dream Team: Our Volunteer Heroes
Delivering 86 boxes takes coordination, determination, and a little bit of teamwork magic.
Route A: South Kitsap & Silverdale
Volunteers: Jen & Adam WirenJen and Adam are food-drive ninjas. Navigating Port Orchard and Silverdale, they delivered every box like pros. If there were a gold medal for food drive logistics, they’d already have it. From dodging traffic to finding the trickiest back roads, no box was left behind—and they even shared a few laughs along the way.
Route B: Bremerton & North Kitsap
Volunteers: Tia & Tony Picini. These two jumped back in after helping with our toy drive. Armed with determination (and a great playlist), they made sure every box landed safely. Between sing-alongs and quick pit stops, Tia and Tony proved that teamwork—and good tunes—can get boxes anywhere, rain or shine.
Route C: Churches & Schools
Volunteers: Rhandel & Noah Darner. Rhandel’s school bus skills made him the perfect driver, while Noah made sure no box went astray. Together, they kept deliveries smooth and our reach wide. From tight school parking lots to church hallways, this duo handled every challenge with precision—and a sense of humor that kept the day rolling.
Community Support Makes It Happen
We were thrilled to receive a $500 gift card from Costco Corporate to stock up on food for the drive. Beth, our Executive Director, teamed up with Shawn O’Hara, Assistant Warehouse Manager, and went shopping like pros. The shelves didn’t stand a chance.
Three members of our Youth Advisory Board also presented at the Bremerton Rotary Wild Beginnings Dinner and Auction. They spoke about how Rotary’s support has helped Kidzz Helping Kidzz develop programs that serve youth in need while also fostering important skills such as leadership, teamwork, and public speaking.
How You Can Help
Want to join the effort? You can make a meaningful difference by dropping off nonperishable food items at any of our collection sites. Visit our Food Drive page for a full list of locations.
Most-Needed Items
Canned chicken, tuna, ham, Vienna sausages, Spam, beans
Peanut butter
Breakfast cereal or oatmeal
Pancake or muffin mix
Granola bars
Every donation helps ensure local children and families have access to reliable, nutritious food.
Youth Leadership in Action Beckham Payne, a member of our Youth Advisory Board, has already gotten started by collecting donations.
Thank you, Beckham, for your passion and leadership in helping kids in need!
Turn Your Everyday Shopping Into Community Support
You can also turn your everyday shopping at Fred Meyer into a force for good in our community!
The Fred Meyer Community Rewards program allows customers like you to direct corporate giving to Kidzz Helping Kidzz (KHK). Linking your Fred Meyer Rewards Card to KHK is quick and easy — the enrollment process takes less than two minutes.
Best of all, this program costs you nothing. You’ll continue to earn your personal Rewards Points, Fuel Points, and Rebates just as you always do, while Fred Meyer donates to Kidzz Helping Kidzz based on your eligible purchases.
How to join:
Select "Community Rewards."
Search for "Kidzz Helping Kidzz" or use our code "TT613".
Click "Enroll."
Shop. Support. Smile. Every trip you make can help local youth in need.
Save the Date
Youth Food Drive at Fred Meyer.
Support Kidzz Helping Kidzz youth in action! On Saturday, April 25 from 11:00 AM–3:00 PM, our youth volunteers will be hosting a Food Drive at Fred Meyer in Bremerton.
Stop by, say hello, and consider donating non-perishable food items to help families served by the Bremerton Backpack Brigade and South Kitsap Backpack for Kids program. Every donation helps make a difference for local children experiencing food insecurity.
Blu Berry Frozen Yogurt Fundraiser.
You also have the opportunity to support Kidzz Helping Kidzz by joining our first-ever fundraiser at Blu Berry Frozen Yogurt in Silverdale on Tuesday, May 26 from 5–8 PM.
Join us for a sweet cause and bring your friends and family! A portion of the evening’s proceeds will be donated to Kidzz Helping Kidzz to support local youth.
We hope to see you at one — or both — of these upcoming opportunities to support youth helping youth!
Comments