On Thursday, November 9th, we were fortunate enough to have four very special visitors at the Perceptics office. Sam Compton, Christi Kirk, Monica Smith-Albright, and Cindee Peters joined us for a lunch and learn to raise money for Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee. Sam is the youth programs manager at Second Harvest and manages the Food for Kids effort, while Christi, Monica and Cindee all work at local schools that benefit from the program.
Employees alone contributed $828 for a yummy taco bar prepared by board members from The Perceptics Foundation. With the matching contribution from The Foundation, a total of $3,312 was raised for Food for Kids.
In 2016, Food for Kids provided over 482,000 meals to over 12,000 children. Teachers at area schools submit a list of kids whom they feel are at risk of hunger. In addition to telling a teacher they’re hungry, children sometimes are observed hoarding food at lunchtime or picking food out of trashcans. In order to make sure those children eat on weekends, they are discreetly given a backpack full of food for themselves (and any siblings they may have at home) every Friday throughout the school year. Studies have shown a significant improvement in participants’ attendance, academic performance, overall health and behavior.
The money raised by Perceptics employees will be presented on Monday, December 11th, during Second Harvest’s “Double Your Donation Day” telethon. Sam hopes to use the funds to expand the program beyond the 270 schools currently participating. We wish him and everyone at Second Harvest the best of luck.
Pictured above: Sam, Christi, Monica, and Cindee with Perceptics Foundation Board President Kim Herrera and Board Secretary Kelly Lowe.
