Green Bay families reliant on school meal programs get a helping hand during NFL Draft, April 21, 2025. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — With many schools in the Green Bay area canceling classes during the NFL Draft, school food service will be disrupted — leaving children in need without access to regular meals.
Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin, the Greater Green Bay YMCA and community partners are teaming up to bridge that gap.
A food distribution event benefiting more than 100 families was held Monday at Howe Elementary Community School. It was a chance for those who are dependent on free school breakfast, lunch and afterschool program meals to pick up pantry items to use throughout the break from school.
“A lot of people are not going to be able to get out during the draft. Buses aren’t going to run in certain directions, children are not going to be in school — they’re going to be home, they have to be tended to. So this is very important to help them get the foods that they need and use,” said volunteer Tanya Westmoreland.
Officials say food insecurity is a growing issue in Green Bay. Pantries have reported usage doubling since 2020 due to inflation and rising food costs.
All children at Howe Elementary Community School receive free breakfast and lunch because of Howe’s status as a Community Eligibility Provision school, and approximately 90 students receive free dinners for participating in Howe’s 21st Century Community Learning Center afterschool program.
“With being off school this week, I think it’s pretty easy to get overlooked some of the basic needs of our community,” added Britt Paulsen, assistant vice president of community engagement and growth for Molinas Healthcare. “We want to make sure that that doesn’t go by the wayside, and so these kinds of things really help to make sure that kids especially have what they need.”
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