Bella Cosa Jewelers Increases Donation to Darien Rotary Club

Bella Cosa Jewelers just stepped up again! Sponsors of the Darien Rotary Club’s Food For Kids program since September of 2018, they recently decided to increase their donation and are now covering half of the entire program’s cost! Joe Molfese, the owner, said, “I believe in the program and what Rotary is doing. This is a significant commitment for us.” The Darien Rotary Club’s program, now in its sixth year, provides supplemental food to children in Darien, Willowbrook and Burr Ridge. This year’s program is feeding 186 children.

The problem we’re trying to solve is simple. During the week, low-income kids receive free or reduced-price breakfasts and lunches at school. But on the weekend, they go home and go without this support. Then, on Monday morning, they return to school tired, hungry or possibly sick. It can take until Wednesday for their nutritional needs to catch up. While this is happening, the kids aren’t learning at their full potential, building educational deficits that they may never get out of.

It’s hard to believe that hunger is a problem in the seemingly-prosperous communities of Darien, Willowbrook and Burr Ridge. But it is. Families can be fearful of the stigma of asking for help. Our nice housing stock is more expensive, and working families in the suburbs need cars. Many working families spend most of their money covering these essentials, leaving little for food.

Our club buys food in bulk, unpacks it and then repacks it into one-kid, one-weekend bags. This year the club reformulated our menu, trying to provide better nutrition while still providing food kids will eat. The Bella Cosa donation helped support those improvements.

Finally, although the club needs money, we also need labor. We have to unpack and repack food, and that requires volunteers. We hold packing night events throughout the school year. All events start at 5:30 PM at the gym in Lace School (7414 S. Cass Ave, Darien). We finish between 6:30 and 7:00 PM. Walk-ins are welcome – just show up! Dates:

• September 10, 2019
• October 15, 2019
• November 20, 2019
• January 9, 2020
• February 25, 2020
• April 8, 2020

To donate or get more information about this program, visit http://www.rotarybackpack.org/. For more information about Bella Cosa Jewelers, visit their website at https://www.bellacosajewelers.com/.