By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — A relatively new entity focused on reducing hunger in local schools has gained its non-profit status this year, and is coordinating efforts with 17 schools and local existing agencies to reduce hunger.
The organization, known as Make Room, began about two years ago with two women, Amelia Allen and Brooke Ridenour, who were volunteering at the time at a local school when they realized that there were geographical gaps in the coverage of an existing summer food program run by local schools. They then identified neighborhoods where food insecurity was apparent and began providing lunches on a regular schedule.
“Once we saw that gap, we just asked ourselves, if these children can’t reach the food, why don’t we just bring it to them?” Allen said. “And so that’s how Make Room got started.”
Allen was joined by Ridenour for this week’s In the Know, the public affairs show you can hear this weekend on Kensington Digital Media radio stations.
The core group of supporters quickly jelled.
“And we brought different strengths to the table, but we were not intimidated by the size of the problem. We decided that even if we can’t solve the whole problem, we might as well give it a try,” Ridenour said.
They then began coordinating with school nurses to identify instances of hunger. Officials reach out to parents with an offer to assist.
During the school year, they also provide immediate food packs to students, a program overseen by Mallory Detweiler, who also does marketing for Make Room.
Families, they said, have embraced the support.
Make Room is now coordinating efforts with 17 school nurses in the Warsaw and Wawsee school districts in an effort to identify specific cases of hunger.
This year, they’ve been able to assist 2,600 students with food assistance and other supportive programs.
Allen recalls the time she was making small talk with a first grader while volunteering and realized how bad his situation was.
“I asked him, ‘What did you have for dinner last night? And he began listing everything that he had been served for breakfast at school that morning. And I said to him, ‘Oh, no, no, no, that’s what you had for breakfast. What did you have for dinner? And he looked at me and said, ‘I don’t have food at home. So that was my dinner.’ “
Establishing its non-profit status is another boost to its longterm goal, Ridenour said.
“That has allowed us to build a board, develop community partnerships, fundraise, apply for grants, and really put the foundation in place for Make Room to hopefully be sustainable and a lasting resource that schools, kids, and our community members can rely on,” Ridenour said.
They credit their early success with strong support from nurses and a large number of local agencies and volunteers.
Make Room is also partnering with local groups in different ways. One includes a fundraiser with Warsaw Education Foundation.
Another is a food giveaway on Sept. 26 at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds in which Make Way is partnering with the Milford Food Bank. The drive-through event runs from 9 to 11 a.m. and is open to local families in need of additional food support.
Allen said they are currently asking people to consider giving $10 a month to help keep their Immediate Food Packs stocked in 17 local schools. You can learn more about that by clicking here.
Also, to learn more about the organization, go to makeroomtoday.org.
Below are broadcast times for this week’s public affairs show, In The Know.
News Now Warsaw (99.7 FM and 1480 AM):
Friday at 9 am and 5 pm
Saturday at 7 am
Sunday at 7 am
WRSW (107.3 FM)
Sunday at 6 am
WILLIE (103.5 FM)
Saturday at 7 am
