ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The Kind Mouse, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to getting food into the hands of hungry children in Pinellas County during the school year.
While breakfast and lunch are available to food insecure students during the school day, many don’t know where their next meal will come from once school is out. The organization gets meals and groceries to these kids for weekends and holiday breaks.
It’s a daunting task that only gets harder during summer breaks, Gina Wilkins, founder of The Kind Mouse, told Patch.
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“During the school year, through the help of schools and agencies, we know how to reach these children. But when the school year ends, we’re not sure where they’re going, if they’re going to stay home with their families or whoever they’re living with or going to grandma’s or going to camps,” she said. “We just don’t know. We have no way of knowing which students we’re helping during the school year and how to reach them during the summer.”
This means that during the summer the organization needs to shift gears and find new ways to reach hungry children.
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During the school year, it helps fill about 1,750 tummies each week by working with 10 schools and 25 agencies.
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“We measure in tummies,” Wilkins said. “Some kids we feed every day, some once a week. We try to maintain that number during the summer.”
School staff helps the organization target the children in the most need and Kind Mouse delivers food to these schools. They also deliver food to agencies, which in turn distribute the food to hungry children and families.
“They know who needs the food the most, so there’s a better chance of getting the food to the right child,” she said.
During the summer, Kind Mouse has partnered with two St. Petersburg schools — Lakewood Elementary School and James B. Sanderlin K-8 — feeding every child at these schools once a week.
The nonprofit is also working with several after-school programs and childcare programs in the St. Petersburg area, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast’s Northside and Royal Theater clubs, the Salvation Army, the Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation, and FIT.
The organization also continues working with many agencies in the region to make sure its food distribution reaches children throughout Pinellas County.
“We’re really trying very hard to target kids and bring food to all areas,” Wilkins said. “There’s nothing worse than to think of these kids being hungry.”
Those interested in supporting the Kind Mouse and its efforts to feed hungry children throughout Pinellas County can donate to the organization online here.
The nonprofit is always looking for volunteers, especially children of all ages, who help package and organize the food being distributed, Wilkins said. “And what we really need are drivers.”
There are also several fundraisers for Kind Mouse in the works.
The organization will host That ‘70s Show on June 14 at Verducci’s restaurant in St. Pete Beach.
Those attending the dinner are encouraged to dress up as their favorite 1960s or 1970s sitcom character.
Then, the group will host its St. Pete Beach Jamboree on Nov. 18 at Horan Park and a Casino Night on Feb. 3, though a venue hasn’t been booked yet.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the nonprofit has focused on smaller events to raise funds and share its mission with the community.
The Kind Mouse is also partnering with businesses throughout the county to display donation boxes for the organization. It’s seeking new businesses to work with on this initiative, as well.
“We’re just feeding so many. Food prices have gone sky high, gas prices have gone sky high, and these poor people, their rents have gone up. There’s so much need now,” Wilkins said. “We’re trying to be creative about how we raise money and some people do food drives for us. We’re trying to make it where we’re not nickeling and diming everybody. We’re just trying to raise awareness.”
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