Feed It Forward is a meal program at the Albany County School District #1 that allows the community to “buy a kid a lunch.” The ultimate goal of Feed it Forward is to create a perpetual fund from which all students can receive school meals at no charge, regardless of income.

The program is a concept that has been introduced previously in the state and the nation. Co-founders Angélica Mecham, Lisa Theis, and Cassandra Bushman of the meal program in ACSD#1 stated the following,   

Cassandra Bushman: ACSD#1 Food Service Administrative Assistant 

“One of the things I love about Laramie is how generous the community is. Without the support of our community partners, programs like the Laramie Backpack Program and Feed It Forward couldn’t survive. And not only do they survive here, they thrive. I love working with these programs because I know how big an impact they make. No one likes being hungry. No one is their best self when they are hungry. Providing a student with meals for the weekend with a backpack or buying a student lunch isn’t a financial burden for most of us, but it makes all the difference in the world for that kid.  

Lisa Theis: ACSD#1 School Success Liaison 

“I am so excited for the Feed It Forward Program to be up and running. The Albany County community is incredibly generous and is truly a “village.” Life can be hard, and it can be unexpected but as life is happening children should not have to worry about whether or not they will get to eat and families shouldn’t have to worry about how they are going to feed their kiddos. If we can help carry this weight in some form it is my hope that children will be ready and eager to learn and families will be able to focus more on things that bring joy and fun. Families most often look to community based organizations for assistance and support and may not realize that the school district too has a wide range of resources and am so excited that we can now add this program to our list. For more information on how you can help, please contact Lisa Theis at ltheis@acsd1.org or at Laramie Middle School (307-721-4430) for more ideas on how you can help.” 

Angélica Mecham: ACSD#1 Communications Specialist 

“I was inspired by the Feed it Forward program in Laramie County School District 1 in Cheyenne. I first chatted with Ashlie Fahrer who was a wealth of information and gave great direction on how to implement the program here in Laramie. Then I consulted with other experts in the district, Food Service Administrative Assistant, Cassandra Bushman, and School Success Liaison, Lisa Theis. After a few collaborations, we were able to finalize the meal program here in Laramie. It will be a great asset for the students and their families.” 

How to Donate 

Students need nutritional fuel to help them learn throughout the day. Not having enough to eat can make students lethargic, irritable, unfocused, and even miss school. Help ACSD1 feed a child by buying a kid a lunch. The Feed it Forward meal program is available now to donate to by contacting Cassandra Bushman via email at cbushman@acsd1.org or 307-721-4482.