Donating Delicious and Nutritious Snacks for those in Need
Veterans recovering in long-term care need more than hospital food.
This is my son's second year as a Cub Scout. He's a Bear this year and his challenges and activities are getting more and more advanced. What stays simple and consistent, however, is being able to help soldiers at the Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center in Leavenworth, KS. Our pack's sponsor is our local American Legion and they challenge each den to gather up as many donations of individual snacks, activity books, socks, and toiletries as possible. It provides a fun challenge for the kids and provides valuable resources for the veterans. So when these Slammers Snacks arrived, we knew they would be the perfect individual sized nutritious snacks that they could use.
Our 2 boxes of goodies with the rest of our Den's donations
Tis the Season
It's important to remember those less fortunate not only during the holidays but the whole year. It's really not difficult to donate a bit here and there. Some places will even pick up donations so you don't have to bring them anywhere. My family often has to utilize free food pantries, but sometimes we don't get a choice in what we get. Even with our poor financial state, we always donate back the things we won't use. Places like nursing homes, VA hospitals, cancer centers, and even teachers in schools can use snacks. It often breaks the monotony of what people are usually stuck with eating. Nutritious snacks that are individually sealed are the best as they are healthy and portable.
Nutritious Snacks that are Delicious
The great thing about Slammers Snacks is that they taste great. While most were donated to the veterans, we retained a few to snack on ourselves. Everyone in the family likes them. I find the ones with added protein are even quite filling as well! You can't go wrong with the flavors of orange, mango, strawberry, grape, apple, cherry and more. The flavors are well balanced and taste great. Plus, each once packs extra nutrition with ingredients like carrots, beets, and butternut squash. They're like fresh fruit and veggie smoothies.
Obviously, different flavors have different values, but most pack a good dose of Vitamin C. Vitamin A, Iron, and calcium can also be found. All the fruit is certified USDA organic, so you know you're getting the best. The Protein + Organics series have extra protein coming in at 7g per pouch. This is from the added Whey Protein Isolate. The Amped flavor contains organic Chia so it's got the added benefit of extra omega-3s and omega-6s. This is why we loved donating these snacks. Not only do they taste great, but the added nutritional boost is great for anyone in the hospital.
Convenient and Portable
6 individually sealed pouches come in each box. The boxes themselves are compact so they are easy to stack and store, or transport for donation. Because each pouch is individually sealed, you can hand them out without risking any cross contamination. The pouches are sturdy and the lid can be replaced, making even already opened pouches easy to store and transport. They are super handy for grab and go snacks and we hope friends and family visiting soldiers and veterans can grab a couple as well.
Give Back
Donating items or time feels great. Both are easy and possible to do for just about anyone. It doesn't matter that I have to rely upon charity myself sometimes for my family, I still try to pass it on. Whether it's donating nutritious snack like Slammers Snacks, or volunteering at the local animal shelter, everyone can be a helper. Plus it shows our children how great it can be to give back.
Be sure to check out Slammers Snack and everything else in our 2018 Holiday Gift Guide below.
Don't forget to also check out our other categories such as our Recipes section for tasty meals!
Being a boy or girl scout is an awesome way for kids to get involved in their community. It helps them develop empathy for those who are not blessed to have all that they do.
Scouts are the best thing for kids to get involved with. I have to admit that I never would have thought about taking stuff to the vets. I collect for the backpack at schools for the kids to take home on the weekend.
Donating healthy snacks is an excellent idea, people often don't think of donating in that way. Also, having the kids get involved helps them to think of others less fortunate, too. I can remember when I was a very young child, my mom would bring us on visits to shut ins, etc, those concepts instilled when young stay with you.
A good reminder to think about others throughout the year. What a wonderful lesson for kids too.