For too many children in Ottawa County, the absence of school means the absence of meals. That’s where the Ottawa County Family Advocacy Center steps in. Through its Fuel for Kids program, the organization ensures that children have access to nutritious, easy-to-eat food during weekends, extended school breaks, and throughout the summer. In 2025, support from the John Henry Eldred Jr. Foundation helped expand this essential service, delivering more meals to more children—when they need them most.

A Mission Rooted in Advocacy and Heart

Founded as a Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program, the Ottawa County Family Advocacy Center has grown to provide a comprehensive network of programs that support families through mentorship, kinship support, and food assistance. Its tagline, “Help from the Heart,” perfectly captures the Center’s commitment to meeting both the practical and emotional needs of the children and families it serves.

Its updated mission is clear and community-centered:

With trusted partners, we provide a comprehensive network of social support. By feeding, mentoring, educating and advocating, we seek to uplift those we serve thereby elevating the standard of living for the community.

Fuel for Kids

The Fuel for Kids program began as a partnership with United Way of Greater Toledo to provide meals during the summer. It has since expanded into a year-round effort that provides nutritious grab-and-go bags during summer, long weekends, and extended school breaks like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring break.

Each week during summer 2025, the Center distributed bags to more than 1,900 children—a number that continues to grow. During the school year, 550 bags are distributed for extended breaks, and each school keeps 100 on hand for students in need.

Every bag includes shelf-stable items (no prep required), such as juice boxes, crackers, meat and cheese packs, fruit cups, applesauce, trail mix, oatmeal bars, and cereal. In the summer, every bag also includes refrigerated and frozen options such as cheese, fresh vegetables, meat, hummus, and milk.

Each item is individually wrapped, and bags are packed in plain white plastic grocery bags that can fit easily inside a child’s backpack—reducing stigma and helping the program meet both nutritional and emotional needs.

Meeting a Growing Need

Before receiving support from the John Henry Eldred Jr. Foundation, the Fuel for Kids program faced significant challenges:

• Rising food costs limited the number of bags they could provide.
• Reliance on food banks and private donors made bulk purchasing and planning difficult.
• The need to prioritize extended breaks over weekend meals left some children without reliable food access.
  

Thanks to the Foundation’s funding, 85% of which went directly toward food purchases, the program was able to expand weekend support beyond just extended breaks, purchase food in bulk to lower costs and increase efficiency, and include healthier, more well-rounded options in each bag.

The result? A more consistent, nutritious, and dependable food source for Ottawa County children facing food insecurity.

A Model of Community Support

The Fuel for Kids program is powered by people—staff, mentor coordinators, and 15–20 dedicated volunteers who help pack and distribute bags. Volunteers sign up through social media and the Center’s website, making it easy for the community to get involved.

Children who receive the bags are identified directly by school staff, keeping the process discreet and ensuring that no child is singled out. The partnership between schools and the Center is at the heart of the program’s success.

As Ashley Walterbusch, program director at Ottawa County Family Advocacy Center, puts it:

“If we can feed children, can that change their future? Studies show that a hungry child can’t concentrate on learning. When that need is met, it reduces stress and gives them a better chance.”

A Partnership That Fuels Progress

The relationship between the Ottawa County Family Advocacy Center and the John Henry Eldred Jr. Foundation has made a lasting impact—not just on the organization, but on its people.

“Meeting with Maria [Iafelice] and seeing the care the Foundation puts into their giving—it gives you hope,” said Michele Mueller, development director at Ottawa County Family Advocacy Center. “Their process is straightforward, and it’s clear they want to help where it matters most.”

Walterbusch added, “As a parent myself, I can’t imagine not being able to feed my child. This program gives me purpose. I’ve even taken what I’ve learned to state committees and national conferences. That’s the ripple effect.”

Looking Ahead

With the Foundation’s support, the Center is planning to expand the number of weekend grab-and-go bags during the school year, increase distribution numbers during extended breaks, and serve even more children in summer 2026 and beyond. Sustainability remains a key focus, and as food costs continue to rise, the Center is actively seeking additional funding streams to maintain and grow the program.

“We believe this has long-term effects,” Mueller said. “Working alongside the schools, the Foundation, and our volunteers—it’s truly a team effort.”

By helping Fuel for Kids grow beyond extended breaks and include weekend meals, the John Henry Eldred Jr. Foundation has empowered the Ottawa County Family Advocacy Center to feed more children more often—with healthier, more nourishing food. Together, they are helping ensure that no child in Ottawa County has to face the stress of hunger.

Because when a child is fed, they are free to learn, grow, and thrive.