The Stevi Food Program was started by Fran Schmitz during the pandemic. This program, which provides free food to children 18 and under, has continued to gain traction.
The program is currently serving children in Stevensville at the following locations: Head Start, Bitterroot Educational Cooperative, Stevensville School District. About 25 weekend bags are sent home each week and the program also provides snacks to counselors and teachers on the Stevensville School District campus to give students as they see a need. “Children learn better when their belly is full and they are not worried about where their next meal is coming from,” says Schmitz, who serves as president of the organization.
The program, which is run by all volunteers, also hands out supplemental weekly bags during the summer and all food handed out is non perishable.
“Last year we handed out over $10,000 worth of food,” said Schmitz, “and we look to do about the same this year, maybe more.” To date, the program has handed out over 2,000 meals to children in the local community.
According to Schmitz, the Stevi Food Program, which is a tax-exempt non profit, is funded by “our generous community” and includes grants from the Rapp Foundation and Town Pump Foundation. “We have also received donations from the Stevensville Parade of Trees hosted by A2Z Personnel and Project 59870, and took part in the Festival of Trees in Hamilton this year, hosted by Bitterroot Health Foundation. Our tree was sold at auction for over $2000 at that event. On December first Friday we had a display about our program at St. Mary’s Mission and would like to thank them for including us in their event.”
This year the Stevi Food Program published an Advent calendar that states where food and cash donations can be dropped off. 
For more information, contact Fran Schmitz at 225-304-3947.