Meet Three Kids from Bennington, VT

Three young siblings ride their bikes to get fresh food for their family.

Emily works at the Vermont Foodbank harvesting fresh produce at local farms and sharing it with neighbors in need along with nutrition information. Emily supports our neighbors at monthly VeggieVanGo fresh produce events at local schools and hospitals. These are an important source of food for families during the summer when kids are no longer receiving school meals. Emily sets up a beautiful display of produce and offers recipes made with the available fruits and veggies, along with delicious taste tests that get everyone excited about healthy food.

During one of these events at a school in Bennington, Emily met three siblings ranging from about four to nine years of age. They had ridden bikes from their nearby home. They told Emily they were there to grocery shop for their family. They were so excited about all the fresh fruits and veggies that they quickly filled their bags with more than they could carry on their bikes. When Emily saw this, she offered to help drive the food to their house.

As she helped them load her car with fresh fruit, vegetables and yogurt, she began to wonder if there would be enough room in their fridge for all that food. The siblings rode their bikes home and Emily drove the food to their house. When she arrived, she helped them unload the healthy groceries into an almost completely empty refrigerator. It was heartbreaking to see and she understood why they had taken so much.

Because of local food deliveries that Vermont Foodbank supporters make possible, these kids won’t have to go hungry. They can attend produce deliveries at their school and will be able to fill their empty fridge with fresh fruits and vegetables.

You can help make sure no kids in Vermont have to come home to an empty refrigerator. Click here to donate: give.vtfoodbank.org