Courtesy Photo Pictured above, from left to right, are Alpena Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Bradley Somers, and Alpena Rotary members Robert Barrigar, Mary Cosbitt, Mary Dunckel, and Ann Burton.

To help combat food insecurity among local youth, Rotary Club of Alpena members collected snack food items at their annual holiday party in December and donated them to the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena.

During the school year, 21 million children receive free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch nationwide. Proper nutrition is essential for learning in school, but when school is out, many children who rely on these school snacks and meals go hungry.

The food program at the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena offers free after-school snacks and balanced dinners every day to members during the school year, at holiday/seasonal breaks and during the summer.

Unfortunately, the onset of colder weather brings with it an increase in the community’s need for food as well.

The contribution of snacks helps supplement the Boys and Girls Club food program, ensuring Club members receive the nutrition they need during their time at the Club.

“It is humbling to receive donations like this at the Club from thoughtful people like the Rotarians,” said Alpena Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Bradley Somers. “Every donation we receive is celebrated and we cannot thank the Rotary Club of Alpena enough for recognizing a need in our community and doing whatever they can to fill that need. The Club’s teen attendance has increased tremendously and these snacks are important in helping support each and every kid that walks through our doors.”