Kiwanis Club of Topsail Island Area receives $9,000 grant to support local children
SURF CITY, NC — The Kiwanis Club of Topsail Island Area has received a $9,000 grant from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund to expand programs addressing child hunger, nutrition and wellness in Pender and Onslow counties.
The funding will support the new Kiwanis Kids Nutrition Initiative: Feed. Fuel. Teach., a year-round program that builds on the club’s monthly Community Supper while adding take-home breakfasts and hands-on nutrition education.
The Feed portion will continue the Community Supper through Share the Table, serving about 220 complete meals each Sunday, including approximately 50 children.
Through Fuel for Tomorrow, children attending the Sunday supper will receive a take-home breakfast containing shelf-stable milk, fresh fruit and a whole-grain item.
The Teach component will provide nutrition education through activities such as Junior Chef Challenges, grocery store lessons, garden-to-table experiences and family meal kits.
Programming will be based at the planned Kiwanis Education Pavilion at the Greater Topsail Community Garden.
The initiative is supported by more than 85 community partners, including businesses, nonprofits, civic organizations, schools, faith-based groups and youth programs.
The grant builds on a $10,000 Kiwanis Children’s Fund grant awarded in 2023 to help establish the Greater Topsail Community Garden.
Since the garden began donating produce to Share the Table in March 2024, volunteers have completed 169 harvests and donated 5,711 pounds of fresh produce and herbs, valued at approximately $44,045. Volunteers have contributed more than 7,800 hours to the garden through June 2026.
