Food For Thought grows to meet increasing need

Food For Thought opened its new warehouse Monday night to help feed children who have little or no food to eat during the weekend.

Volunteers, businessmen and politicians came to celebrate the opening of the 3,000-square-foot building lined with rows of soup, macaroni and other food. Counselors discretely distribute the food to the students on Fridays.

The new building, 3579 Highway 50 East, #221, in Carson City is double the size of the nonprofit's old warehouse. More than 100 volunteers will prepare food packages there for about 600 students at 10 elementary and middle schools in Carson City and Virginia City.

Gov. Jim Gibbons said the generosity of Food For Thought can help students get through a weekend, school and life.

"What we want to do by being here is highlight the good work of this organization, to broadcast the need for the community to step forward and hopefully rally people to volunteer, to donate," he said.

The governor said he is impressed by the work of Food For Thought.

"Never is volunteerism more important than in an economic downturn," he said. "Never is charity more important than in an economic downturn."

The nonprofit will spend about $20,000 to prepare 12,000 meals a month for students. The program started in 2006 at founder Rebecca Rund's house.

Rund said Carson City's generosity has been "heartwarming."

She said the nonprofit needs more financial donations to keep up with demand, but she's always been able to rely on donations.

"The minute you mention we have children in need and that they don't have food to eat, people automatically respond, 'What can I do to help?'" she said.

Children are "just gleaming" when they get meals from the program, said Kristin Robison, the program's board treasurer.

She said she's happy she can rely on volunteers because she hadn't known how many poor and homeless children were in Carson City.

"There's kids in my kid's class I didn't know were needing food," she said. "We like to believe everything is perfect in our little community."

To get involved, call Food for Thought at 883-1011 or go to www.nvfoodforthought.org for more information.

Send financial donations to:

Food For Thought

P.O. Box 656

Carson City, NV 89702

Donations are also accepted at www.nvfoodforthought.org.

Bring food donations to:

Food For Thought

3579 Highway 50 East, # 221

883-1011

Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

First Baptist Church

1750 N. Mountain St.

Monday and Wednesday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

ABC Learning Center

151 E. Park St.

Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.- 6 p.m.