Thank you!
We will contact you shortly
donate to the Thomas Carney Memorial Fund
EVENT Recap video
SNACKIN' WITH THE RAVENS
Thanks to everyone who joined and/or donated at our Fall 2023 event with former Ravens players Spencer Folau, Brad Jackson, Matthew Lawrence, Michael McCrary, and Kyle Richardson!
Our Work
We Provide healthier snacks for baltimore students
Too many children in Baltimore experience food insecurity and hunger. Studies prove food insecurity impairs academic development, and hungry children are more likely to suffer from hyperactivity, absenteeism, behavioral challenges than their non-hungry peers.
In the Baltimore Metro area, approximately 1 in 3 children arrive/leave school hungry.
Stanley Snacks fills the hunger gap in Baltimore by providing healthier snacks to schools to distribute to students in need.
17+ schools
receiving free, healthier snacks for their students
7,000+ students
who can get a healthier snack when they need it
donate today
Help Hungry Kids
Help bring healthier snacks to more school children in Baltimore City. 100% of every donation is used to purchase snacks for our students.
video
led by a Hometown Hero
Stanley Snacks founder Melissa Martin was honored by the Baltimore Ravens as a Hometown Hero during their August 11th preseason game. Here is the video they produced about our work.
Our Beginnings
In December 2015, our founder, Melissa Martin, heard a heartbreaking story from a local teacher.
One of the teacher’s students was found hiding in the bathroom during lunch and sent to the principal’s office. Once the teacher arrived to the office and was able to talk more with her student, she discovered the student had a past due balance of $6.40 on his lunch account. The cafeteria refused to serve this student due to the past due balance. Sitting in the cafeteria surrounded by food was simply too difficult for to bear for this hungry student.
Melissa called the school and offered many solutions, including paying the student’s balance and/or donating to cover all overdue student balances. All offers were declined by the school. With her snack loving Beagle, Stanley, at her side, Melissa came up with the idea to send snacks directly to the school. She shipped soup cups, pretzels, and other healthy snacks and signed the gift from Stanley. The school nurse accepted the snacks and began distributing them to hungry kids. Stanley Snacks was born!
Since 2015, many schools began providing free meals to all students regardless of income level. School lunch programs still vary throughout the Baltimore Metro area. Improved school lunch programs are a step in the right direction to combat many issues, including past due lunch balances. There’s still a lot of work to do! We have identified and continue to work to fill a hunger gap within existing school lunch programs.
FAQ
Got questions or ideas?
Feel free to send us a message after reading the FAQs below. We'd love to hear from you!
Don't schools provide free breakfasts and lunches?
School lunch programs still vary throughout the Baltimore-Metro area. Currently, Baltimore City does offer free meals to all students: Unfortunately, many students still face challenges with these meals. ● Some can't get to school in time to get breakfast, which means they'll be hungry until lunch. ● Some students haven't eaten the evening before and arrive at a greater nutritional deficit than their peers. ● Sometimes, free or reduced options provided by schools are unappealing, do not adhere to religious and other restrictions, or are simply not substantial enough to truly fill a belly.● And sometimes kids are just hungry!
What snacks do my donations provide?
Your donations help us provide healthy snacks like:● Fig bars● Granola bars● Belvita cookies● Nutrigrain bars● Goldfish crackers● Cheese crackers● Mac and cheese cups● Chef Boyardee single cups● Raisins● Campbell's soup● Quaker Instant cups to go● Pretzels● Lance's Toasty cracker packs● Fruit pouches● Fruit cups● Cereal bars● Apple juice ● Small water bottles
How much of my donations go to provide snacks?
Every penny we receive from you goes directly to purchase snacks for hungry school kids. We have a handful of dedicated donors who cover our very small overhead costs, and our donation platform charges us 1% plus card processing fees, which you can choose to cover when you make your donation. So all of your gift goes to help hungry students focus in school!
Can I buy snacks and donate them directly?
Yes! You can contact us to coordinate. We would love for you to see firsthand where your generosity is making a difference.
Who is the Stanley in Stanley Snacks?
Stanley was Melissa's beloved beagle. Stanley loved snacks! We think of him with every snack we distribute.
What schools does Stanley Snacks serve?
We are currently supply snacks to public schools in the Baltimore Metro area. You can find our snacks in Reach Partnership!, Renaissance Academy, Walter P. Carter, AFSIVA - Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts, Sandy Plains Elementary, Bedford Elementary and many more. Your generous gifts will help expand our reach to serve more children!
Is my donation tax-deductible?
Yes! (Subject to your unique tax situation, of course - doublecheck with your accountant if you want to make sure...) Stanley Snacks has been given the IRS status of 501 (c) 3 and we are registered with the Secretary of State of Maryland as a Charitable Organization.
Contact Us