Maria Holl, a teacher at the South Butler Intermediate Elementary School and founder of the Weekend Food program, packs food items into a bag on Friday for a needy student to to take home.

JEFFERSON TWP — A new program at two South Butler School District buildings provides nourishment and just a little love to 42 students.

The Weekend Food program was started in January by Marcia Holl, a Title 1 reading and math teacher at the intermediate elementary school.

In the program, National Honor Society students from Knoch High School pack food into plastic bags for intermediate elementary and primary school students participating in the free and reduced lunch program to eat on the weekend.

Holl said each bag has two breakfast, two lunch and two dinner items, plus two snacks, fruit and a drink, and sometimes fresh produce if it's available.

She said the district has kids in many situations who can use the food over the weekend.

“We have a mission here in South Butler that we will provide a quality education for all students so they can become productive members of society,” Holl said. “Well-fed and educated children will have accomplished this goal.”

Read Sunday's Butler Eagle to learn more about the program.

The public is welcome to support the program through monetary or food donations.Monetary donations can be given by logging onto the district's website, www.southbutler.org, clicking on the Legacy Foundation link, and using PayPal. An address where checks can be sent is also on the website.Those who want to donate food can find a list on the Foundation link of items that are accepted for the program.Those items can be dropped off during school hours at the intermediate elementary school on Knoch Road.