Dutch Bros started Dutch Luv Day in 2007 as a canned food drive at shops throughout the company
Dutch Bros, the regional drive-through coffee chain, donated $1,103.04 to Woodland Public Schools’ Family Community Resource Center’s (FCRC) Food Pantry program as part of their “Dutch Luv” campaign. On Feb. 18, Dutch Bros donated $1 from every purchase made at the Woodland location to the FCRC’s Food Pantry program.
Gabrielle “Gabby” Meador, Woodland’s FCRC coordinator, applied for the Dutch Luv campaign. “Our food pantry helps feed students-in-need who attend Woodland Public Schools and we are always looking for ways to expand it,” said Meador. “We are so grateful that Dutch Bros found our program worthy for their Dutch Luv campaign.”
Dutch Bros started Dutch Luv Day in 2007 as a canned food drive at shops throughout the company. In 2016, the company transitioned the program to a giveback day to provide donations to area food banks and services providing food to those in need. You can learn more by visiting their website: https://www.dutchbros.com/dutch-luv
The Woodland Public Schools Family Community Resource Center (FCRC) provides resources and services to students and their families in need who live in either Cowlitz or Clark counties. In addition to annual events like the Back-to-School Bash which provides free backpacks filled with school supplies to hundreds of area students, the FCRC also offers a variety of other programs and services to students and families including the free Food Pantry program, assistance finding employment and residential solutions as well as much more.
“Our goal is to connect the under-resourced families we serve with the organizations offering help in Clark and Cowlitz counties,” explained Meador. “We want to help families line up jobs and get work so they may improve their lives.”
The FCRC follows up with families throughout the year to ensure they receive the assistance that they need most. “I check in with the families in our McKinney-Vento program on a quarterly basis to directly offer food and other services to them,” said Meador. “Our school counselors and social workers also provide referrals of families for me to help.”
The FCRC establishes partnerships with local nonprofit organizations to provide resources and assistance to homeless students and families as simply locating affordable housing opportunities can present huge barriers to low-income families. Under-resourced families and students who qualify for the McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act, a federal law created to ensure the enrollment and educational stability of homeless children and youth, are the top priority.
“Our goal is to connect the under-resourced families we serve with the organizations offering help in Clark and Cowlitz counties,” said Meador. “We want to help families find stable housing and get work so they may improve their lives.”
To find more information about services offered by the FCRC or to find ways you can support the FCRC, you can visit the Woodland Public Schools website at www.woodlandschools.org/fcrc, email Gabrielle “Gabby” Meador at meadorg@woodlandschools.org, or call the FCRC at (360) 841-2718. Spanish-speaking families can reach the FCRC’s Spanish-speaker by calling (360) 841-2918.
Learn more about how Woodland Public Schools educates students and serves the community, by visiting the dedicated news webpage at www.woodlandschools.org/news/wsd
Information provided by Woodland School District.
