Charge Up!

Fueling NACS Students for Success

Imagine sitting in class, trying to focus on a math fraction or a reading assignment, but the only thing you can hear is your stomach growling.

For many students in the Northwest Allen County Schools (NACS) community, mid-day hunger is a real barrier to learning. While structured breakfast and lunch programs provide a vital support, spontaneous hunger or a missed meal can completely derail a student’s focus, physical and emotional regulation, and sense of security. A hungry child cannot focus, participate, or reach their full potential.

Before this initiative, NACS teachers frequently stepped in quietly, buying snacks out of their own pockets to keep emergency supplies in their classrooms.

The NACS Education Foundation is stepping up to change that with the launch of the Charge Up! Snack Program.

How It Works: Simple, Accessible, & Stigma-Free

Launching for the 2026–2027 school year, Charge Up! partners directly with our local schools to provide healthy, individually packaged, student-friendly snacks directly to classrooms.

Distributed by teachers and staff when a child needs it most, this program removes the stigma of food insecurity. Our rollout begins at Huntertown Elementary and Arcola Elementary, with hope to expand to Eel River Elementary by the second semester. Our ultimate vision? Consistent snack access in every NACS elementary school by the 2028–2029 school year.

When we meet this basic nutritional need, we aren't just handing out snacks—we are investing in classroom focus, positive behavior, and student well-being.

Your Impact: What Your Gift Truly Buys

We are incredibly grateful for the early momentum from our community partners, including Meijer, the Carroll High School Band, and C3Sports.

But to keep our classroom snack baskets consistently full all year long, we need you. We designed this program to be highly impactful at every donation level:

$9 (One-Time or Monthly): Feeds 1 student for an entire month.
$45: Fully stocks an entire classroom's emergency snack basket.
$90: Fuels two full classrooms, protecting teachers from out-of-pocket spending.

Two Ways to Help Today:

Donate Online: Choose one of our giving tiers on the right. Consider checking the "Make this a monthly donation" box—just $9 a month ensures a local child is consistently fueled all year long!
Restock a Basket: Prefer to donate physical items or organize a neighborhood snack drive? We love hands-on community support. Contact Amber Toole at amber.toole@nacseducationfoundation.org to get our approved list of healthy snacks and coordinate a drop-off.

Thank you for helping us ensure that every NACS student comes to school ready to learn, thrive, and succeed!