Sterling Buddy Bags provides food for kids to take home on Friday afternoon. The food is simple and nutritious, something children can prepare without too much effort. The program is supported by numerous churches and civic groups and is sponsored by the Illinois Coalition for Community Services, with the cooperation of Sterling Public Schools.

How you can help: Sterling Buddy Bags provides weekend food bags for kids who are food insecure. The bags contain food for weekend meals, and are provided discreetly to children at school. This community program is housed at Wesley United Methodist Church of Sterling, but it belongs to all of us. Community groups can help by:

• Donating food items. You can find a list of needed items at the First Presbyterian Church.
• Donating money to purchase food and support the program.
• Packing the weekly bags.
• Delivering the bags to the schools.

Contact our volunteer coordinator at 815-625-0452 to make a donation or to schedule a volunteer time.

Friends, we’ve had a great, busy fall and winter. We are now serving students in the High School as well as Challand Middle School and all four Sterling Elementary schools – that adds up to around 150 bags every week! The need is very great, and we welcome your donations of money, or of food. We always need individual servings of Chef Boyardee, Easy Mac, applesauce, pudding, fruit, and cereal.