BUDDY BOX CONNECTION
(formerly Family Mentor Foundation)
BRIDGING THE WEEKEND HUNGER GAP FOR CHILDREN
We have a new name!
Family Mentor Foundation is now Buddy Box Connection — same mission, just a name that better reflects what we do. We're still here to bridge the weekend hunger gap for children, one Buddy Box at a time.
OUR MISSION
Our Mission Hasn’t Changed
We are still focused on meeting the nutritional needs of children in our community so they can reach their full potential. We do that by delivering kid-friendly, shelf-stable food to children in need each week—just under a new name that reflects our work more clearly.
This year alone, we will distribute over 58,000 Buddy Boxes to children in Worthington, Columbus, and South-Western City School Districts, packed with care by volunteers at our Worthington warehouse.
Since 2013, our organization has worked to bridge the weekend hunger gap for children by providing nutritious, kid-friendly meals through our Buddy Box program. While our mission has remained the same, we’ve grown—and so has our impact.
To better reflect who we are and what we do, in October 2025, we proudly introduced our new name: Buddy Box Connection.
Why the Change?
The name Family Mentor Foundation served us well for many years, but it didn’t clearly communicate our focus on food insecurity. We realized that our most recognizable asset—the Buddy Box—deserved to be front and center.
Our new name highlights:
What we do: Provide Buddy Boxes to children facing food insecurity
Who we serve: School-aged children in our local communities
How we do it: Through connections—with donors, volunteers, teachers, and families
What “Connection” Means
The word Connection was chosen with care. It reflects how we:
Connect children to food when school meals aren’t available
Connect community members to a cause that’s meaningful and important
Connect partners, schools, and volunteers in a shared mission to end weekend hunger
A New Look That Honors Our Roots
With our new name comes a new logo, designed to reflect both children and food, while keeping a warm and joyful tone. We’ve retained the familiar colors of Family Mentor Foundation as a nod to our roots, while moving forward with a fresh, approachable identity.
WHAT IS A BUDDY BOX?
Many children who qualify for free lunch or reduced fee lunch at their schools have little to eat at home and return to school after weekends distracted by their hunger and unable to focus on learning.
Buddy Box Connection’s goal is to bridge the gap; to send these kids home with a Buddy Box every Friday during the school year to alleviate their hunger. A Buddy Box is a box filled with kid-friendly, nutritious, nonperishable, individual sized-food items that are easy for children to eat or prepare on their own. These meals and snacks help sustain children on the weekends when they are not in school.
Have you ever wondered about the children who get their best meals in the school cafeteria?
What happens when they’re not in school?
HOW IT WORKS
Food is purchased with the support of local donors and through community food drives. Boxes of food are assembled by volunteer groups and are distributed through the schools.
$190 covers the cost of Buddy Boxes for 1 student for the year.
A typical Buddy Box is filled with nonperishable, individual-sized foods like: veggie/juice boxes, raisins, applesauce or fruit cups, Goldfish crackers, mac and cheese cups or instant meals, sunflower kernels, meat sticks, breakfast bars, and instant oatmeal packages.
❊ Testimonials
Seriously! But don’t take our word for it, here are some things people have to say about us.
Our students are always very appreciative and excited about taking the Buddy boxes home and it is a huge relief to our staff to know that our vulnerable students will have food over the weekend when they will not be receiving school breakfast and lunches. Additionally it sends a message to our families that we care and want to help with their students and families beyond just academics.
— School Site Coordinator
“
At our school, the program also sends a strong message to students: You are seen, you are valued, and you are not alone. It fosters a sense of security and dignity, giving children the stability they need to thrive both academically and emotionally.
— Teacher
“
My only comments are of gratitude. This makes such a difference for our students/families. It is also a huge relief to me to know the kids have them as I am often at my limit of how much I can personally provide to students. I provide resource information all of the time to families but know that transportation, pantry hours, needed documents can often prevent families from actually getting food from these sources - it is amazing to watch students walk out with food in hand each week.
— School Site Coordinator