Ben Curtis Family Foundation

The Ben Curtis Family Foundation began in 2013 after an eye-opening TV special about hunger in America. The statistics were powerful. We wondered if this was happening in our own backyard, so we did some research and what we found we couldn’t ignore. In both Portage County and Summit County, the rate of food-insecure children under age 18 is 20 percent, or roughly 6,350 children in Portage County and 22,570 children in Summit County. We decided to check the statistics in our hometown of Kent, Ohio, and found that the percentage of children in our school system on a food subsidy program at that time was close to 48 percent – with one school at 80 percent. Teachers see hunger in their classrooms every day and try to find ways to combat it with their own resources. We sat down with a principal at one of the elementary schools and worked together to develop the Birdie Bag Program. It was important to empower the child and also needed to be a good fit both for us and the schools. A Birdie Bag contains food and a toiletry kit which is sent home with children in need weekly in Ravenna and over 10 long weekends during the school year in Kent and Barberton. Working alongside school principals ensures that all of our programs work for both the schools and our organization. It is vital for children to learn about good nutrition and have access to it. It’s not only a solid foundation for a child’s physical health, but for their mental health and academic potential. We’re always in need of volunteers to help us fill Birdie Bags each month and to help out at our events which raise awareness and the funds needed to beat hunger. Check out our upcoming events. It only takes one person to start making a difference. Join us in the fight to eradicate childhood hunger in Portage and Summit counties!

Imagine sitting in school and trying to focus on learning, but you are hungry. This is the reality that many children face today in northeast Ohio. Numerous studies show that when children attend school with full stomachs, they are better able to focus in the classroom. Teachers see hunger in their classrooms every day and are trying to find ways to combat it with their own resources. We knew that more could be done and thus our Birdie Bag Program began. The bags are packed, put into bins and delivered to participating schools in the area. Recipients of the Birdie Bag Program remain anonymous, as teachers put the bags in students’ lockers during an elective period such as music, physical education or art. No child is turned away. If a teacher lets the liaison in their school know, the child is added to the list of recipients. 2003 British Open Champion Ben Curtis and his wife, Candace, started the Ben Curtis Family Foundation in 2013, with a mission to help alleviate childhood hunger. In 2013, our Birdie Bag Program served one school, sending home 130 Birdie Bags with hungry children. We currently serve 12 schools, sending home over 2,600 Birdie Bags with those in need.