Small Miracles Make a Big Impact
MANCHESTER, Iowa—On Friday afternoons at Lambert Elementary School in Manchester, volunteers from First Presbyterian Church place care packages of healthy, kid-friendly food in the lockers of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals. For many of these kids, school meals may be the only food they eat before heading home to empty cupboards and long, hungry weekends.
“I remember seeing a little second grader just beside herself with excitement because she said she didn’t have any food in her house,” said volunteer Lucia Hutchcroft. “A jar of peanut butter is not necessarily a miracle in many families’ lives, but in some it is a miracle to have that kind of food show up at your door, especially when you know there’s no money there to purchase food.”
The backpack food program—a partnership between First Presbyterian, West Delaware Schools and the Northeast Iowa Food Bank—is getting an extra boost this year thanks to a grant from a generous community member’s donor-advised fund at the Foundation for the Future of Delaware County (FFDC).
The Small Miracles Endowment Fund was established in 2008 by an anonymous donor to create small miracles for kids. It has since paid out nearly $60,000 to fund little things that can make a huge difference in children’s lives, such as piano lessons, birthday bags, coats and mittens, toys at Christmas, and backpack food programs like First Presbyterian’s, which will receive funding for 676 jars of peanut butter.
“I think sometimes many of the children feel, ‘Who cares?’” said volunteer Zeta Nieman. “Well, we care, and this anonymous donor certainly cares, and we want these children to know that someone’s there for them. I feel that’s a miracle.”
Small Miracles is only one small example of caring donors in our region supporting causes they feel passionate about. In 2016, FFDC endowments granted more than $70,000 to causes ranging from social welfare, to education and the arts.
“The Small Miracles fund is a reminder that our region is full of generous people creating greater good,” said Foundation Chair Jerry Burke. “Our donors are creating funds that will continue to make small miracles possible today and tomorrow.”
Don't see video above? Click here to watch.
To learn more, visit www.dbqfoundation.org/ffdc.
Photo Caption: Volunteers Zeta Nieman (left) and Lucia Hutchroft deliver care packages of healthy food for kids in need at Lambert Elementary. This year, an anonymous donor-advised fund at the Foundation for the Future of Delaware County funded the purchase 676jars of peanut butter in support of the program.