foundation Giving Tuesday SNACK DRIVE

The Meridian Library Foundation will be hosting a snack drive for Giving Tuesday to support the efforts of the Meridian Library District to alleviate childhood hunger. All snacks collected during our Snack Drives will be provided to youth attending programs at Cherry Lane, Orchard Park, and Silverstone Library locations, and on the Bookmobile.

Items we will be collecting:
granola bars (any variety) greatest need
trail mix
fruit snacks
peanut butter crackers
cheese crackers
cheez-its
applesauce pouches or cups
individual fruit cups
pretzels

All non-perishable snacks need to be pre-packaged individual servings.

Please deliver snack items between Tuesday, November 28th and Friday, December 1st
to your local Meridian Library District location:

Meridian Library at Orchard Park 
Meridian Library at Cherry Lane 
Meridian Library at Silverstone
unBound Technology Library* 

Can't make it to a drop-off location? Donations can be made online by clicking the button below. On December 1st, the Foundation will use all monetary donations to purchase snack items in bulk and deliver them to the Meridian Library locations facilitating youth programs.
*unBound is serving as a drop-off location; snack items donated at unBound will be delivered to the library location with the greatest need.

Please type "snacks" in the NOTE field when making an online donation!



POKEMON CLUB

Every other Friday, Pokemaniacs from across Meridian descend upon Silverstone to trade, battle with friends, watch the anime, and do a variety of other activities. This program is open to all ages, however, the primary audience is ideal for those who are school-age.

LABrary

This program allows kids age 6-12 to explore science, technology, engineering, and math every Tuesday afternoon at 2:30pm. Sample Library activities: paper airplanes, coding, Boise Urban Garden School, self portraits, robots, rock painting, etc.

With our community's support, the library can begin to provide snacks at these Silverstone programs!

BOOKMOBILE FOOD PANTRY

MLD's Bookmobile provides nutritious snacks for young patrons at Bookmobile stops. Many families that face food insecurity are reliant upon these healthy afternoon snacks.

In addition to these snacks, the Bookmobile offers "Pantry Baskets" filled with personal hygiene items, and take-home food. Whitney, Community Librarian, shared "At one of our stops, we have several kids ages ranging from 5-17 come on to get books and most of them grab snacks and hygiene products. The kids have expressed more than once they are hungry, and some say there isn't much for dinner. I have also heard that the school lunches are not keeping them full either." 

With our community's support, the library can continue to provide after-school snacks on the Bookmobile.

AFTER SCHOOL HANGOUT

Orchard Park's After School Hangout program invites students in grades 6th up to 12th to join library staff after school to eat a snack, use Wi-Fi on their devices, play games, and socialize with friends.

Cherry Lane's after-school program, M.A.S.H. (Meridian After School Hangout) provides middle & high school teens a safe space to hang out with friends, socialize, work on homework, play games, and check out books.

Many of these students are picked up by parents later in the evening, so there is a large gap of time between when students have access to food at school lunch, and when they're able to have dinner at home. Snacks at the After School Hangout programs have had a huge impact on teens and provide the fuel they need to have a positive experience at the library.

With your support, the District can continue to provide snacks for these after-school programs.

"The youth who attend the MASH program at Cherry Lane Library are so grateful for the snacks donated by their community. Having a snack after school is necessary to get through the day. Knowing they can visit the library and have this need met makes it easier to enjoy their time at the library and be more successful in what is left to accomplish that day. Sharing food together is the beginning of building strong relationships, between youth and their peers who visit the library and between library staff who engage with the youth who attend the MASH program."
- Mary Flamino, Cherry Lane Branch Manager

We thank the Meridian Library District for bridging the gap by providing resources (beyond books) to the children in our community, and thank YOU for your support of these programs!


additional upcoming snack drives:

New dates will be announced as needed!




MERIDIAN LIBRARY FOUNDATION

© Copyright 2023 Meridian Library District Foundation, Inc.