Help Assure Dubuque Children Have Something to Eat During Winter Break

Many children in Dubuque rely on preschool/school lunch programs in order to get one of their few meals a day. When kids go on their annual winter break, those two weeks put an added strain on parents to make sure their children have something in their bellies.

Back for the ninth year in a row, Danielle Meyer is looking to make an impact on that front. She is collecting food to assemble her "Belly Bags." She started the campaign just a few years ago with a simple concept in mind: keep Dubuque and Dubuque-area kids fed during their multi-week winter break.

What are Belly Bags?:

Intended for kids ages 3-to-5-years-old, as well as infants, Belly Bags are designed to make sure young kids have something on which they can munch when schools are closed and not serving their usual meals. Danielle Meyer and her 12-year-old daughter Lydia returned to the studio to discuss their Belly Bags campaign and further disclose what kind of items they are looking to collect.

Some of the items they are looking for include:

• Applesauce
• Fruit cups
• Easy Mac
• Oatmeal
• Goldfish
• Hy-Vee gift cards + cash (for Danielle to purchase supplies in need)
• Winter hats
• Socks
• Gloves

For babies, they will gladly accept:

• Rice rusks
• Baby blankets
• Baby puffs
• Baby hats
• Baby gloves
• Baby socks

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How to Donate to Belly Bags:

For those looking to donate some of the listen items, or other comparable items, you can do one of two things. You can contact Meyer directly (her contact info is listed below), or you can make a donation at White Front Feed & Seed in Dubuque on Dodge Street and/or Lavender Rose on Asbury Road. White Front will also take monetary donations and hold them for Meyer to purchase food herself.

For more details on the rollout of the Belly Bags, how you can donate, or even how Danielle's daughter Lydia is helping with the bags themselves, take a listen to our interview below!

Meanwhile, if you want to arrange a donation drop-off with Meyer personally, you can reach her at 563-451-9449. Or join Belly Bags' Facebook group for more information!