Healthy Kids Snack Bags

Your Participation Makes a Difference!

Support Healthy Kids Snack Bags with your gift. Volunteer to fill snack bags! We stuff the bags every Thursday morning at 10 AM (lower level of the hospital).

Who benefits from this year’s fundraising?

The NHHS Foundation adopted the Healthy Kids Snack Bags program in 2012. We are pleased to announce that successful fundraising for 2013-14 has allowed us to continue the expanded program. The NHHS Foundation now provides snack bags to elementary school children in Newport, Oldtown, Priest River, Priest Lake, the Kalispel Career Training Center, and Cusick. Now that we have expanded our deliveries, our overall fundraising goal is sustainability. In addition to the week’s worth of healthy snacks, Newport Hospital and Health Services Foundation also provides weekly health education/nutrition materials with each child’s backpack.

How much does it cost to run the program?

As of the 2019/20 academic year, we are serving over 225 children with this program. It costs about $6 each week per child….that’s over $1000 a week for all children.

What types of snacks are provided?

3 Healthy snacks a day for 7 days each week. The children receive a healthy grain, a protein, a piece of fresh fruit and a 100% fruit juice for every day of the week. As of 2017, all snacks are USDA Smart Snack approved!

How are the children selected to receive the snacks?

Currently, the elementary teachers and counselors identify the children who would most benefit from the program.

Can I sponsor a child’s snack bag each week?

Absolutely! Contact the Foundation Office to arrange a weekly credit card donation to cover the cost of a child’s snack bag. You can also talk to your employer about establishing a payroll deduction opportunity to be sent to the Foundation.

Will the Foundation accept food donations?

Yes, we will accept non-perishable, Smart Snack-approved healthy snack items as donations, but we would prefer monetary donations to order the food weekly (we have limited storage space, especially for items needing refrigeration). Some examples of snacks we provide are:

  • Goldfish crackers (whole grain)
  • Apples, oranges
  • Whole wheat graham crackers
  • String Cheese
  • Granola Bars
  • Mini Pretzels

We also have several children with severe food allergies, so we must be careful with food selection.

Thank you to our 2022/23 Sponsors!