Volunteers pack 576 weekend food kits for Excelsior Springs students
Excelsior Springs, Mo. (Jan. 15, 2026) — For the second time this school year, local volunteers came together to help keep weekend meals on the table for Excelsior Springs elementary students.
On Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, volunteers from the Excelsior Springs Rotary Club, Excelsior Springs Hospital, and community members met at Excelsior Springs Middle School to assemble 576 weekend food kits through Feed Northland Kids.
“You all filled about 120 bags every 10 minutes,” said Chris Donnelli, Director of the Community Food Kit Program for Feed Northland Kids. “Awesome on the speed, even though they’re not a race.”
A Friday bag to bridge the weekend gap
The kits are sent home on Fridays with students who are identified by the Excelsior Springs School District as most at risk for food insecurity. Each bag includes easy-to-open, shelf-stable items meant to help bridge the weekend until school meals resume on Monday. Donnelli said the kits generally include two breakfast items, a couple of main meal options, and snacks.
“A lot of kids are getting their main nutrition at school,” Donnelli said. “If school’s not in session, they’re not eating.”
Donnelli said about 45 kits are distributed to Excelsior Springs elementary students each week, generally serving students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Some families have multiple children, and organizers work with the district to distribute supplies as fairly as possible when needs change.
“We don’t have enough. We could always use more,” Donnelli said.
13 weeks of food, nearly $2,900 in product
Organizers estimated that the 576 kits represent about 13 weeks of product for local students. Donnelli said the food packed on Jan. 15 cost $2,880 “to the penny,” a figure similar to the cost of the previous Excelsior Springs build.
District social worker Kim Curtis coordinates local distribution and helps ensure the kits reach the students they are intended to serve.
Donnelli credited Curtis and district staff for the work that happens beyond the volunteer nights. “We kind of get the glory and the praise,” he said. “But, (Kim) is here doing this work every week.”
More builds expected to finish the school year
Donnelli said Feed Northland Kids expects to return for another build with about nine weeks remaining in the school year to help round out weekend support for students.
The Jan. 15 build followed a similar volunteer night earlier in the school year. On Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, Rotary members, hospital staff, community volunteers, and Feed Northland Kids gathered at the middle school and assembled 576 kits in about an hour and a half.
Feed Northland Kids is a volunteer-driven organization that raises funds to purchase food for its programs, Donnelli said, and relies on community groups to keep kit assembly and distribution going across the Northland.
Community members interested in supporting the effort can learn more about Feed Northland Kids and ways to help through its website.
If you appreciate the value our local journalism brings to the community, please consider making a recurring contribution to the Excelsior Citizen!
