CLC Football Team Partners With “Kids Against Hunger” To Give Back To Community

Around 30 football players from Central Lakes College gathered in Nisswa today to give back to the community. The players packed lunches for Kids Against Hunger, a local food-aid organization aiming to reduce the number of hungry children in our area and around the world.

Football players from Central Lakes College were busy Wednesday doing something a little different from their normal routine.

“They are packing food that will be distributed through the Brainerd Lakes Area this fall at our local area food shelf,” said Brainerd area Kids Against Hunger Executive Director Shawn Hansen. “So we’re super excited to have them here today.”

“Just helping the community, giving back, building some team chemistry, all that stuff. Having fun,” said CLC football player Isaak Hines.

The defensive line visited Kids Against Hunger to pack meals Wednesday, while members of the offensive line volunteered last week.

“We’re bringing all these kids into Central Lakes College that are coming here to get an education, which is most important. They’re coming here to play football as well but we want to give back to our community,” explained CLC Football assistant coach Shane Jordan.

This was the first year the CLC football team partnered with Kids Against Hunger to pack meals, and they hope it is not the last.

“This is something new that we are doing this year but I hope we do it again next year. At least, I hope they do it again next year,” added player Collin Wilcox.

Kids Against Hunger was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, but has 50 independent food packing satellites, one of which is right in Nisswa.

“We’re a humanitarian food aid organization. We’ve been in Nisswa since 2012. We are at a growth spurt right now so we’re growing, doing some new things,” Hansen explained.

80 percent of the food packed by Kids Against Hunger stays within an 80-mile radius of Brainerd.

“We’re really super positive about the fact that we can have a positive impact on food accessibility for people right here in the lakes area,” Hansen added.

Packing the meals with Kids Against Hunger was not only a way for the players to give back to the community – it also offered a great team bonding experience.

“We want the kids to grow together and learn to trust each other because they have to do that on the football field as well,” said Jordan. “But again, it all goes back to – we truly believe at Central Lakes College that giving is more important than receiving.”

“Giving back to the community, I feel like that is the best thing and we grow closer as a team as well, but mostly giving back to the community,” Wilcox added. “It’s really a great thing.”

Anyone is welcome to get involved and volunteer packing meals with Kids Against Hunger. For more information, visit www.kidsagainsthungermn.org.