Hormel Foods has recently donated $5,000 to the Knoxville Community School District’s Angel Fund, which provides assistance to families struggling to cover the costs of hot lunch for their children. The donation is part of Hormel’s $28,000 donation to assist families living in the six communities where it has plants, including Knoxville. Knoxville Schools Superintendent Cassi Pearson tells KNIA/KRLS News the donation means Knoxville students will remain well fed and ready to learn through the rest of the school year. She says there is an increased concern throughout Iowa and here in Marion County about making sure kids have adequate nutrition and get breakfast and lunch. Pearson says, having the community step up and provide additional support for these young kids is so important. She says the district is pleased that a company with such a significant presence in our community like Hormel is making a big difference in this way.

This school year, 41 percent of KCSD students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch through the federal school lunch program. Many additional students do not qualify for the program, but may still struggle due to their families only make a little over the income limit. The Angel Fund raised about $6,000 last school year. The donation from Hormel Foods will officially be presented to KCSD in January.