Pictured in front from left are Courtney Sale, of the Warsaw Education Foundation; Amelia Allen, of Make Room; Brooke Ridenour, of Make Room; Kara Kamp, of Warsaw Community Schools; and Kearstin Criswell, of LovEd. In back are Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert; Tammy Adamiec, of Warsaw Community Schools; and Jason Culver, of Warsaw Community Schools. Photo provided by the Warsaw Education Foundation.

News Release

WARSAW – To help ensure no student goes hungry or falls behind in the classroom, the Warsaw Education Foundation has announced the launch of its new Food for Thought Fund.

This centralized initiative directly funds front line programs providing essential meal assistance to Warsaw Community Schools students facing food insecurity, according to a news release from the Warsaw Education Foundation.

With more than 3,000 WCS students qualifying for food assistance, the gap between extended academic breaks leaves many local children at risk, the news release said. The Food for Thought Fund was created to bridge the gap, uniting local efforts to keep students fed, focused and ready to learn.

To launch the fund, an anonymous local couple has offered a $30,000 matching gift. For every dollar donated by the community, the matching opportunity will double the impact – dollar-for-dollar – up to $30,000.

Through the Food for Thought Fund, the Warsaw Education Foundation partners with and supports vital local programs, including:

Boomerang Backpacks: The program provides weekend meals to more than 300 elementary and Gateway students every Friday afternoon. Learn more at www.boomerangbackpacks.org.

Together We Feed Them All: Edgewood Middle School leads an annual districtwide initiative to provide food for approximately 450 Warsaw Community Schools families in need throughout Christmas break.

LovEd, a program of Alliance for Thriving Families: The program provides food support for 793 students (370 families) during fall break and spring break through food drives and volunteers from local churches. Learn more at allianceforthrivingfamilies.org.

Make Room: The program provides immediate food packs and emergency grocery assistance to children and families experiencing food insecurity or sudden financial hardship. Since January 2026, Make Room has provided food support to 2,619 children across Kosciusko County, including 1,742 students in the Warsaw district. The impact includes Make Room’s summer food program, which provides meals and supplemental groceries to children in communities where access to other summer food resources is limited or unavailable. By delivering food and care with dignity, stability and hope, they ensure children continue to have reliable access to food when school is not in session. Learn more at makeroomtoday.org.

“When a child is worried about where their next meal will come from, focusing on algebra or reading becomes nearly impossible,” said Courtney Sale, executive director of the Warsaw Education Foundation. “The Food for Thought Fund allows our community to wrap its arms around WCS students year-round. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our $30,000 matching donors, every gift given today will have twice the power to end student hunger in Warsaw.”

The community is invited to help maximize the $30,000 match opportunity. Tax-deductible donations can be made online by visiting warsawedfoundation.org/food-for-thought-fund or by mailing a check payable to the Warsaw Education Foundation with “Food for Thought” in the memo line. The mailing address is Warsaw Education Foundation, P.O. Box 1343, Warsaw IN 46581-1343.