Kids Give Back 2025: Stock the Shelves
We are thrilled to share that this summer, we’re bringing back our special fundraiser, "Kids Give Back," starting the second week of camp. This initiative is close to our hearts, as it offers our campers a hands-on way to make a difference in the lives of others. We hope to inspire kids to recognize that no matter their age or abilities, they can give back to their community and love others as Jesus loves them.
Just like last year, the Kids Give Back challenge is inviting campers to bring canned food items to support United Methodist Neighborhood Services (UMNS) and their three food banks in Philadelphia. With this partnership, we are able to directly benefit families in our local communities in a very practical and necessary way. Last year, we were able to make a huge impact with donated cans of food as well as tons of fresh produce from our Good Stuff garden.
We keep the fundraiser fresh and engaging all summer by focusing on different food groups each week. This makes it simple and fun for campers to contribute, while also teaching them about the variety of foods that help nourish families.
This year’s schedule is as follows:
Week 1 - Vegetables
Week 2 - Mixes- Bread mix, cake mix, muffins, breakfast mixes
Week 3 - Protein- Beans, chicken, tuna, and other canned meats
Week 4 -Fruit
Week 5 - Carbs- pasta and rice
Week 6 -Drinks- Powder hot chocolate, powder juice mix, coffee, tea
Week 7 -Snacks- Crackers, nuts, popcorn, granola bars
Week 8 - Soups
Week 9 -Spreads- Jelly, peanut butter, other nut butter
Kids Give Back will also include a bit of friendly competition: we’ll keep track of donations from campers and staff throughout the summer. At the end of camp, we’ll announce who brought in more cans — will it be our enthusiastic campers or our dedicated staff? We love seeing the energy this adds to our mission of giving back!
This fundraiser is about more than just collecting food. It’s an opportunity for campers to develop empathy, understand that people live in different circumstances, and experience the joy of helping others. It’s incredible to see how passionate our kids become when they realize their actions have a real impact.
Parents, we encourage you to get involved by helping your children pick out nutritious, shelf-stable items to donate. It’s a great chance to talk about food security and the power of community. We will be collecting the food during the check in and check out process. You can also drop off cash or a check in your kid’s name: we will purchase cans of food on your behalf! If you would like to donate directly to United Methodist Neighborhood Services, please find their contact information here: https://www.epaumc.org/connectional-ministries/mission-outreach/conference-missions/umns/
We can’t wait to see our campers rise to the challenge and embrace the spirit of giving with their usual enthusiasm and big hearts. Let’s work together to fill those food bank shelves and show just how much our Carson Simpson Farm family can do!