Tuscarawas United
Feeding our Future
About The Program
Approximately 5,570 Tuscarawas County children experience food insecurity, and the local Tuscarawas United – Feeding our Future (TUFF) Bags program is seeking support from individuals, businesses, and organizations to ensure that children have the nutrition they need to thrive. Food insecurity refers to the USDA’s measure of lack of regular access to nutritional food for active and healthy lives. In an effort to eliminate this problem, a collaboration of agencies assembled to create TUFF Bags, which operates solely by donations and grants. The program is working to eradicate childhood hunger in our community, as well as provide education, skill building, and community service for at-risk youth in the juvenile justice system. This is accomplished by providing at-risk youth community service hours in which they pack food that is delivered directly to food insecure children in Tuscarawas County. The food these children receive through TUFF Bags not only nourishes their bodies, but helps them reach their full academic and social potential by allowing them to leave school on Friday without the worry of going hungry until returning to school on Monday.
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Donations
Tax-deductible monetary donations can be made to the United Way of Tuscarawas County
(ATTN: TUFF Bags) at 1458 5th St NW New Philadelphia, OH 44663
All 100% of your monetary donations go directly to TUFF Bags to purchase food and supplies for meal bags. We currently provide weekend meals for approximately 1,400 children each week in Tuscarawas County.
We also have an ongoing need for:
*Plastic grocery bags *Gifts in kind *Volunteers for packing days
Community Partners and Donors
Active Partners
- Tuscarwas County Health Department
- United Way of Tuscarawas County
- Greater Dover New Philadelphia Food Pantry
- Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank
- Tuscarawas County Sheriff's Office
- Adam Wilson
- Wendy's
- Adventure Harley Davidson
- HRN Construction & Restoration
- ProVia
Donors
- Doris & Floyd Kimble Foundation
- Hugh A. Fraser Fund
- Dominion Energy Ohio
- Buckeye Career Center
- Baker's IGA
- Lowe's
- Buehler's
- Dollar General Market
- Rural King
- Giant Eagle
- Staples
- First Federal Community Bank
- Trinity Hospital Twin City
- NewPointe Community Church
- Peterman Plumbing
Participating Schools
- Claymont City Schools
- Newcomerstown Exempted Village Schools
- Dover City Schools
- Harcatus Head Start
- STAR Alternative School
- Indian Valley School District
- Tusky Valley Schools
A very special thank you to the many volunteers and individual donors not included on the above list!
TUFF Bags Volunteer Information
Pre-registration is recommended. You can click the link below to access the Volunteer Sign Up Website and choose dates and times. Please print and fill out a liability waiver and bring it with you on packing day (you only need to fill out a liability waiver once). Packing days are held at 1060 Cookson Ave SE New Philadelphia, OH 44663. During the school year, packings are held on Saturday mornings at 8:00 and during the summer, packings are on Tuesday mornings at 9:00. Please refer to the Volunteer Sign Up Website for current days and times. If you have any questions, please call the TUFF Bags Coordinator at 330-401-3283.
TUFF Bags is an United Way 2019 Community Outreach Award recipient!
Additional Resources