By Trina Barnett
Love in Action board president

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – Love in Action, Inc is a non-profit corporation focused on improving the lives of individuals in our community. Trina Barnett founded the company with the hope of sponsoring projects in the area that benefit those who need help.  The logo is based on a design by Trina’s daughter Ainsley, who is active in Girl Scouts and has a desire to make the world a better place.

Love in Action’s first project is working with the food service department in the Wisconsin Rapids School District to make sure no child is left without a lunch.

“As a parent in the school district, I was unaware of the problem of food insecurity in our schools. When it was brought to my attention, I knew I had to do something,” said Trina.

By ensuring every child in our community has a nutritious lunch, we will help our children become more successful in school and in life in general, as impaired cognitive development can be a direct result of food insecurity.

We are working closely with the Wisconsin Rapids Public School Food Service Department to ensure all students are provided a nutritious meal daily. Already through our program, we have been successful in changing the way children who cannot afford lunch are handled in the district.

While there are positive plans being put into place to help the growing problem of food insecurity in our schools, we will need continued support from the community to ensure children’s needs are addressed. The Food Service Department is an integral part of this project and they have been instrumental in facilitating positive changes.

Another project will be an Elementary School Snack Program. Currently in several schools, teachers must come up with a “snack calendar” where parents rotate bringing in snacks for the whole classroom. While this ensures all children get a snack, inevitably, teachers end up contributing their own money to supplement these snacks as parents do not always send enough or sometimes forget. Our hope is that by providing healthy snacks for children, they will be able to maximize their potential, focus on learning, and not go hungry.

Our board is comprised of individuals who have a vision of a Wisconsin where all people have the access to the resources they need in order to lead a healthy life. As we grow, we will do other projects that enrich the lives of those in our community. Some of these ideas currently include: a Teddy Bear program for local hospitals, sponsoring families during the holiday season, and donating extra school supplies throughout the year to schools.