Some things are better together: peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter and chocolate…and peanut butter and children. It’s true: for growing bodies, peanut butter provides a whopping eight grams of protein per serving and acts as the main building block for strong muscles, bones and immune systems. But for students facing food insecurity, separated from reliable, low-/no-cost school-year meal programs, summer can be a time of hunger. Further, area food banks regularly run low on this precious and nutritious commodity. 

Enter Newport Avenue Market and Kendall Auto Group, who stirred up a plan to blow the lid off their annual peanut butter donations to NeighborImpact—Central Oregon’s longtime nonprofit that supports neighbors in need of food, housing and other resources. An area-wide call to action mobilized generous shoppers and Kendall Auto Group patrons, and organizers collected a remarkable 9,700 jars of golden goodness—over 1,500 more containers than last year which, frankly, is just…nuts. A lot of nuts.  

“No one wants to think of kids going hungry, especially during summertime, when life should be most carefree. But the old adage about many hands making light work is true; coming together, we were able to accomplish even more,” said Lauren G.D. Redman, CEO & President, Newport Avenue Market. “Having a dedicated, community-minded partner like Kendall Auto Group, plus many mission-focused neighbors, helped us make this enormous donation of a much-needed commodity. We’re always grateful to be a part of this annual event and are already planning on how to break the 10,000-jar mark next year.” 

Some might say that’s spreading it on a little thick, but Redman and her community cohorts are committed to ensuring the sweetness of summer for area students who need it most—one sandwich at a time.