Kids Meals Inc. holds bag decoration contest to help Houston-area kids

HOUSTON - Calling all artists or anyone who can turn a circle and a couple of dots into a happy face. A Houston non-profit is offering big bucks in a bag decorating contest but it's area kids who ultimately win.

Receiving good food in any type of bag is a blessing indeed especially for families struggling in the pandemic.

"We went from 3,500 kids a day receiving our home-delivered meals to close to 7,400 kids a day,” explains Beth Harp the Executive Director at Kids Meals Inc.

The little ones receiving the sacks from the non-profit actually look forward to more than what's inside the bag. "When we pull up in a van and we have a decorated bag for a child it just makes their day,” Harp smiles.

So to celebrate successfully providing food and to let Houstonians know their neighbors are in need Kids Meals is hosting a brown bag decorating contest with Houston McDonald's owners helping with the prizes.

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"Decorate your best bag and then you post it online and you tag Kids Meals and you tag McDonald's owner-operators and you're entered. The first prize is $500."

Even third prize in the bag decorating contest is $200 but it's Houston kiddos who come out on top as more people become aware of Kids Meals, the nation's only home delivery service for preschool-age children living in poverty "and that's one in four kids in our city,” says Harp.

The 14-year-old organization had been providing food to pre-schoolers who are in critical development stages.

"They need the basic daily nutrition to be able to have their brains develop correctly."

Now in the pandemic, the group feeds older siblings as well. Kids Meals needs up to 60 volunteers a day to make that happen. You can even help from home, packing sealed, never opened goodies for area children.

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“It's called our DIY lunch pack program. Just pack a healthy protein, a fruit item like applesauce or squeezable fruit, a healthy snack like a granola bar and a juice, water or shelf-stable milk". Then you give the packed bags to Kids Meals for delivery.

You have until Friday to enter the bag decorating contest. Please tag me also. I can't wait to see your amazing artwork.

We have a FOX 26 Give Back Charity List here on our website so you can connect with Kids Meals and several area non-profits if you'd like to volunteer or make a financial donation.

Also, find the organization at kidsmealsinc.org.