Our Ready, Set, Go! early education program serves communities throughout Eastern Idaho. Launched in August 2020, this essential program provides elementary students access to clothing, hygiene products, and weekend food bags. The Ready, Set, Go! program alleviates significant burdens, enabling students to be prepared and ready to learn on Monday mornings. Our goal is to eliminate barriers for the children in our community and within our classrooms.
A vital component of our program is the weekend food bags filled with easy-to-prepare, healthy foods. This initiative began four years ago at Hawthorne Elementary in Idaho Falls and has since expanded to serve 200 children each week across several schools in three districts. Due to the increasing demand, we have experienced a 200% growth since the program's inception. We hope our community will step forward to support us with food or monetary donations to help sustain the program.
"We have several schools who rely on our resources that help their students battle food insecurity each weekend and school break. One story shared with us was about a little boy in one of United Way’s afterschool programs who asked his teacher if he could get something out of his backpack. Each time, he returned with nothing and 2 or so minutes later would ask again. Eventually, this student shared with the teacher that he was going back to his backpack to take a bite out of half an eaten banana because he was hungry but that he felt so guilty because if he finished this banana then his little brother at home would have nothing to eat. Our program was able to partner with the school and make an astounding difference in this family's life. Hundreds of kids in the Idaho Falls area are suffering similar experiences of food insecurity on a constant basis. Funding a program like this helps kids not have to wonder where their weekend meal is going to come from, they know they'll be taken care of by the bag of food they pick up from their counselor’s office on Fridays. The Ready, Set, GO! program isn't just fighting hunger, it's building more stable homes for families in need."
Chris Wiersema, United Way of Eastern Idaho CEO
Our Call to Action
Next time you’re at COSTCO or Sam’s Club please consider grabbing a case of:
- Kraft Mac and Cheese (Single Serve Cups)
- Chef Boyardee Ravioli (Single Serve Cups)
- NutriGrain bars
- Chewy Granola Bars
- Fruit Cups
- Applesauce in Pouches
- Oatmeal Packets
- Cereal Mini Boxes
- Sandwich Crackers
- Fruit Snacks
- Shelf-stable Milk in 8 oz cartons
ALSO NEEDED: Gift Cards from COSTCO and Sam’s Club for purchase of fresh fruit, cheese, and shelf-stable milk.
How to Donate
In Our Office
Please coordinate delivery efforts with Arial Howell at ahowell@unitedwayif.org
Deliver during office hours Monday–Friday, 9:30 AM–4:30 PM
United Way Office
1649 Woodruff Park
Idaho Falls, ID 83401
Online
No time to shop for supplies? Order the food online from our Amazon Wish List or donate funding to sustain this program.