If your fridge is full and your pantry stocked, it can be difficult to understand what one box of mac and cheese, or one bowl of cereal can mean to a child who is hungry.
Luckily, there are people in the community who do understand, and they're trying to help.
That's exactly what the non-profit "For the Kids" does, and that's why they're January's Zero Hunger Hero.
Back in 2012, Minda Zoloth started collecting food in a closet in a hotel she managed. She wanted to send kids home from school on the weekend, with food so their bellies wouldn't be empty.
She says, "Everybody wants to help a child, even if it's one box of mac and cheese, which is a big deal to us."
Minda started putting together bags of food for 50 kids at Backman Elementary in Salt Lake City and that's how For the Kids was born.
It quickly grew to helping Liberty Elementary too, and a total of 250 kids in the Salt Lake area.
There's also a chapter in Vernal that serves three schools.
With the pandemic, the need has grown even more.
"We were scared. We weren't sure if we could even keep our doors open but we've had a lot of support from the community and we've been able to meet the need," she explains.
Smith's and their parent company Kroger is helping too by giving discounts on purchased food and grant money. And that's making a huge difference.
Minda says since April For the Kids has given away 142,000 meals!
And that's why For the Kids was honored as the Zero Hunger Hero for the month of January by Smith's and Fox 13.
For the Kids is currently searching for a corporate sponsor so they can take on a third elementary school in the Salt Lake Valley. If you'd like to help, or for more information please visit forthekids.org.
