Snack Drive

By Michelle Dellinger
January 2020 View more Kudos

When local business owners Brian and Roxanne Conrad asked Indian Prairie School District 204 how they could help during the holidays, they were given a very definitive request.

“The coordinator specifically asked for snacks, because they find that kids don’t get enough to eat during the day, and end up in the nurses’ office feeling sick,” says Roxanne. “By donating snacks, we’re helping kids stay focused and in class, not in the nurses’ office.”

By filling that need, the Conrads and their company, 360° Painting, are helping to close the achievement gap by giving students from lower socioeconomic families a boost in school. In association with the nonprofit Kids-Lift, the Conrads hosted a table outside the Walmart in Glen Ellyn, asking shoppers to pick up extra snacks during their trips and to donate them after they finished shopping.

“We hope that by removing the barriers to donating—time and convenience—more people will be able to give,” says Brian. “Because people donated the snacks themselves, they can be assured that 100 percent of their donation goes directly to the kids most in need.” The company also donated backpacks in August.—MD

Photo Courtesy Kids-Lift