Good Food and Good Times for a Good Cause

Local non-profit Share Today Shape Tomorrow and food service company Sodexo are sponsoring a community Family Fun Night at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Redlands-Riverside for the second straight year. The free event is Wednesday, April 13 at 5:30 p.m. and is open to all families with children in the community. Dinner will be served at the Hansberger Clubhouse at 1251 Clay St. in Redlands. Youth can play games, make crafts and decorate cookies. “It’s a natural fit to have a family event here on the north side, where kids can do activities and the parents don’t have to buy or cook dinner,” said Boys & Girls Clubs Vice President Mark Davis. Catherine Walker, director of Share Today Shape Tomorrow, is spearheading the event with a $400 grant from Sodexo and donations from other sources. The Family Fun Night is part of Sodexo’s Global Youth Service Day. The goal is to involve young people in easing child hunger, Walker said. Students from the University of Redlands will volunteer. There will also be food items and children’s books for the families to take home with them, Walker said. Besides good food and good times, she hopes families who haven’t yet connected with the Boys & Girls Clubs will attend. Reservations are not required. Youth must be accompanied by parents. According to food bank network Feeding America, one in five children in the United States suffers from access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Share Today Shape Tomorrow is seeking donations of canned soups, meats, fruits and vegetables, rice mixes, cereal, and kid-friendly snacks to give to families. To donate, email catherine@sharetodayshapetomorrow.org.