A local non-profit is better equipped to meet the needs of the growing Frisco ISD community, thanks to a group of citizens passionate about helping children in need.
Members of Leadership Frisco Class XX, a community leadership program sponsored by the Frisco Chamber of Commerce, rallied behind Frisco Fastpacs and their efforts to ensure no child in Frisco has to endure hunger when school is not in session.
The group raised more than $60,000 in just a few months to purchase a box truck for Frisco Fastpacs, which will use it to haul groceries and donations. The project, called Meals on the Move, also included three years of commercial insurance and a maintenance fund for the truck. Previously, volunteers with Frisco Fastpacs had to make multiple trips to pick up food, limiting efficiency and their ability to expand to serve even more Frisco ISD students and schools.
Founded in 2013 by Frisco resident Marian Schulze, Frisco Fastpacs has grown from serving 32 kids at one FISD school to more than 750 kids in 50 schools. The organization partners with school counselors to put food directly into the hands of students who need it the most, providing pre-packed bags of breakfast, lunch and dinner items to get students through the weekend.
One of the fastest growing school districts in the country, Frisco ISD now enrolls more 58,000 students in 68 schools. Approximately 10 percent of the student population, or about 6,000 students, qualify for free or reduced lunch based on their family income.
“We need your help and we need you to continue to be as passionate and supportive as you have been,” Schulze told members of Leadership Frisco Class XX at a ribbon cutting event in November. “You believe in our mission – you believe that these kids deserve to eat.”
The names and logos of major donors to the Meals on the Move project are displayed on the box truck. They include:
- Frisco Women’s League
- Frisco Sunrise Rotary
- Stonebriar Community Church
- Karya Siddhi Hanuman Temple
- Bin Maids
- Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Frisco
- Texas Republic Bank
- Texas Health Resources Plano
- Steve and Lee Nagel
- Matthew and Tracie Reiter
Frisco Fastpacs relies on the ongoing support of both donors and volunteers. Food drives and monetary donations are always greatly appreciated. New volunteer opportunities have also been created through the Meals on the Move project, including grocery stocking and shelving. Small groups interested in this opportunity can reach out to Frisco Fastpacs at volunteer@friscofastpacs.org. Learn more about the work of the non-profit at www.friscofastpacs.org.