Students at Limestone High School in Bartonville have a group of Moms they can count on. Those women are a group called Moms Who Care, and they make sure students have access to basic needs, including healthy snacks. That's where Midwest Food Bank Peoria comes into the picture. Moms Who Care is one of the many nonprofits that receive food, without charge, from Midwest Food Bank. The group also received a grant from HEAL- Healthy Eating Active Living.

The grant allowed the group to purchase two scratch-and-dent refrigerators from Sherman's in Peoria. The local appliance and furniture store waived the delivery charge, another blessing to the Moms Who Care.

Now, the group can have perishable food available to students while they shop in the Moms Who Care store, which includes clothing and hygiene items. "The goal of the student fridge was for students to be able to grab a quick and healthy snack while shopping. It is heartwarming to see students walking around the room, eating yogurt or applesauce, choosing and enjoying something healthy," says Gayle Carr of Moms Who Care. She says the "Moms" want students to feel at home, go to the fridge and grab a snack without having to ask.

Moms Who Care also provide perishable food to students to take home. They care for about 100 students at the high school.
Recently, bananas were an item that they received from MFB.

"One student had never eaten a banana before and wanted to try one. I can't tell you the number of students that grabbed a banana to eat right then or for lunch later in the day," says Gayle. "I felt so happy we could do this for them." Moms Who Care also receive Hope Packs from Midwest Food Bank. These are sent home on the weekend and include an individual warm meal like macaroni and cheese, a breakfast item, fruit, a granola bar, and a snack.

"Moms Who Care at Limestone High School started receiving food in 2016 and were the first school food pantry for MFB Peoria," says Monica Scheuer, Executive Director of MFB Peoria. "We are so glad to be able to infuse healthier items into teenagers' diets via Moms Who Care."