“Feeding Kids Cleveland County has been a huge help to our large family! We have received food when we were struggling to cover the cost of feeding everyone over the summer. It has been a blessing to stock our pantry, and exciting to get some fresh foods like bananas, apples, and potatoes. Our young children are thrilled to get books, and recently received some much-needed school supplies. We have been greatly blessed!”
About Us
Feeding Kids of Cleveland County, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was started in 2016 out of the homes of several families who wanted to make a difference in the lives of students in need in our community. Since our inception, we have grown from serving 20 children in 2016 to serving 600 children in 2024, which adds up to over 1,000 total people (adults included) we are currently and consistently serving through our programs.
Our mission is to provide food and books to students and families who are identified as food insecure in Cleveland County.
We do this through our weekend food bags, school break food and book deliveries, and our annual Community Table Thanksgiving Meals.
In our county, 1 in 3 children are food insecure. Extended breaks from school such as Spring Break and Winter Break leave hundreds of students without a reliable source of food they would normally receive through the school nutrition program at both breakfast and lunch.
With the work of Cleveland County Schools social workers and our team of volunteers, we provide a bag of shelf-stable, kid-friendly food on weekends as well as a large box of shelf-stable food, a bag of fresh food, and age-appropriate books during the 4 major breaks from school throughout the year to bridge this nutritional gap: Spring Break, Summer Break, Thanksgiving Break, and Winter Break. During Summer Break, we deliver 3 times since this is the longest break for students.
Additionally, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day, we help host and coordinate 6 Community Table Thanksgiving Meals across Cleveland County to which all members of the community are invited.
Throughout the year, we make over 1,500 deliveries of food and books and feed over 1,400 people at Thanksgiving across our county, making sure students and families do not go hungry and aren’t alone.
Please contact us for more information and volunteer opportunities by clicking below.
Feeding Our community Giving Campaign 2024
We hope you will consider supporting our Feeding Our Community Giving Campaign this holiday season!
We hope to raise $45,000 to feed children and families in Cleveland County and provide them with a little more food security this school year. Did you know that 1 in 3 children in our county are food insecure? Donate today to help change this for so many in need!
Our goal this year is to raise $45,000 for Feeding Kids Cleveland County.
Our Programs
School Break Food & Book Deliveries
For some students, school breaks mean missing out on access to food. Therefore, we work with Cleveland County Schools social workers to identify students in need. Volunteers work to collect, package, and deliver food to the homes of these students.
Weekend Food Bags
In order to support students in need of food on the weekends away from regular school meals, we provide ready-to-eat food to take home on Friday. Donors from our community purchase monthly food items to fill backpacks with food that students take home. Once a month, we ask you to drop off the items you sign up to purchase (click below) at one of our approved drop-off sites around the community. Click HERE for the list of places you can drop off.
Community Table Thanksgiving Meals
The Community Table Thanksgiving Meal is a community-wide effort aiming to bring all areas of Cleveland County together in unity for a shared meal and fellowship. This year, the meals will happen at 6 locations in Cleveland County at the same time on Wednesday, November 27, 2024 in some of our community’s high need areas.
One of our goals for the meal is to have as many Cleveland County businesses, churches, organizations, groups, and individuals embrace this idea, not just to serve and provide, but also to come together and enjoy a meal with one another. Sign up to volunteer at one location here.
2024 Meal Locations:
Jefferson Park, 915 Buffalo Street, Shelby, NC
Hope Community Church,1114 S Lafayette St, Shelby, NC
Mt. Zion Baptist Church (KM), 220 N. Watterson St., Kings Mountain, NC
Holly Oak Park, 809 Holly Oak Road, Shelby, NC
Piedmont Community Park, 117 Piedmont Drive, Lawndale, NC
Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church (WACO), 235 A W Black Street, Cherryville, NC
Reading Kids Cleveland County
Did you know that up to 61% of low-income families do not have any books in their homes? We want to help change this statistic here in Cleveland County by making sure each student and child per family we serve gets one age-appropriate book and one family book 6 times a year, building their in-home libraries and increasing literacy rates. We have also placed Little Free Libraries around the county to increase access to books for all people.
In order to maintain this branch of our work, we are always collecting NEW and GENTLY USED reading materials - any age level, but particularly baby board books, middle school, and high school books. If you would like to contribute any reading materials, please let us know here!
2024 Light Ball Dash
Sunday, December 22, 2024
5:30pm-Registration at Marion Elementary School at 410 Forest Hill Drive, Shelby, NC 28150
6:00pm-Race to Lighted Arch on Peach Street
Thank you for your support of the 2024 Light Ball Dash, benefitting Feeding Kids Cleveland County.
2024 marks the 7th annual Light Ball Dash benefitting Feeding Kids Cleveland County, a one-mile walk/run that starts at Marion Elementary School and ends on Peach Street under the festive holiday-lighted arch. Our fundraising goal is to raise $25,000 at this year’s event and we would love to have your support. All monies donated will go to our Feeding Our Community Giving Campaign.
We suggest a $20 donation per adult and $5 per child. Donations are optional but any amount is appreciated.
Volunteer with Feeding kids
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities
Thanksgiving 2024 Delivery: Saturday, November 23 | CLICK HERE TO DELIVER
Community Table Thanksgiving Meals 2024: Wednesday, November 27 | VOLUNTEER BY CLICKING HERE
Christmas Delivery 2024: Saturday, December 14
Spring Break 2025 Delivery: Saturday, Aptil 5
Throughout the year, we welcome volunteers of all ages and backgrounds to help us accomplish tasks and reach our goals. At Feeding Kids, we are powered by volunteers and value each and every person who steps through our doors to pack boxes, deliver food, donate books or food, and make a real difference in the lives of students in need right in our county. If you and your family, business, faith community, friend group or civic organization want to volunteer with us, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Jada Hardin, today by clicking below. We cannot wait to welcome you to our mission in Cleveland County.
Volunteer sign-up links will be posted here and sent out by email shortly before the event dates.
“Feeding Kids Cleveland County has impacted me by giving me an opportunity to give back to the community and children that truly need it. It warms my heart to be able to spend my Saturday mornings serving snd knowing that I have the opportunity to make a difference. I am forever grateful for the opportunity Feeding Kids has given me. ”
Donate to Feeding Kids
We rely on the donations, financially and through food or books, of community members like you to make our mission possible. We are a certified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization. Click the buttons below to learn more about donating, set up recurring giving, or host a food or book drive today. We are so thankful!
Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Feeding Kids Cleveland County whenever you shop on AmazonSmile. It is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service.
Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device
Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into 'Settings'
Tap 'AmazonSmile' and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process
NEW Feeding Kids & Reading Kids Gear
Purchase a t-shirt, sweatshirt, or bag through our Bonfire page to support Feeding Kids & Reading Kids Cleveland County. A portion of all proceeds from this ongoing sale will go directly to our organization. These items are GREAT to wear to Saturday school break deliveries!
For a Reading Kids shirt or sweatshirt, click here.
For a Feeding Kids shirt or sweatshirt, click here.
For a Reading Kids tote bag (great for trips to the library or bookstore!), click here.
2024-25 Gear Available on Bonfire at links below
Looking for assistance?
We are only able to work with school social workers employed by Cleveland County Schools to provide food and books to students in need. Our community is full of resources that can help with different needs that go beyond our scope - from healthcare, clothing, and extra food. Please click below to access a guide from the Cleveland County Health Department.