by Jo Mayer and Paul Crandall

As high food prices, tariff threats and SNAP benefit cuts loom over family food budgets, Stockbridge Community Outreach offers a ray of light with a program designed especially for kids from food insecure households.

Now in its 16th year (with a COVID-induced break in 2020), the Outreach Tide Me Over program (TMO) has helped over one thousand area children cope with food insecurity.

Thanks, in large part, to a local anonymous donor, TMO is gearing up for another school year of sending bags of food home with students. Many school staff members, including principals, secretaries and food service workers, have also contributed to TMO success. Outreach greatly appreciates all of the help!

Driving the program from behind the scenes is Cheryl Holloway and her TMO team, who are responsible for ordering and storing food and packing and delivering about 100 bags a week. Rounding out the team in 2025: Madalyne Salyer, Barb Taylor, Hilary and Joe Muscato, Kathy Pierce, Diane Tandy, Anne Beyer, Sue Gasieski, Gwen Reid, School Food and Nutrition Director Stephanie White, and delivery person Jodi McCoy.

Feedback on Tide Me Over has been very positive and very gratifying. Take, for example, this letter received from a parent of TMO recipients:

“Just wanted to let you know how much your service is appreciated. The kids really enjoy looking in their bags each week to see what kind of surprises are in there. It brings them joy. Sometimes money gets really tight and it is comforting to know that they will have something to look forward to.”

Parents of students from pre-K through 12th grade who need help are invited to sign up. Applications will be sent home at the beginning of the school year. They can also be downloaded from  stockbridgecommunityoutreach.org or the Outreach Facebook page at facebook.com/StockbridgeCommunityOutreach/.

For students at Smith, bags will be delivered to each classroom; at Heritage, bags will be delivered to the students’ lockers. For Jr./Sr. High School students and homeschooled students, bags will be available for pick up at Outreach or by arrangement with Outreach.

Once a parent or guardian has signed up a student for TMO, bags will start arriving  on Fridays in mid-September.