The holidays may be a time full of happiness and feasting for many, but for one in five King County children, there is no certainty of receiving three meals a day.

While school is in session, these students can receive free and reduced lunch, but during school vacations such as winter break, some low-income families struggle to afford food for their children.

“It’s a big burden on parents and can cause stress and anxiety on families,” explained Rebecca Rice, Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank social services manager.

This is where the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank comes in to fill in the gaps. With the nonprofit’s Lunch for the Break program, families are able to receive boxes of food to get their youngsters through the duration of school breaks.

Using grocery lists provided on the program’s website, donors put together boxes of food that will provide one child with breakfast, lunch and snacks for about a week.

Rice said that since winter break lasts longer than the other two vacations, there are extra canned foods, snacks and grocery store gift cards included in these boxes. The Friends of the Issaquah Library also give children books to encourage reading over the break.

The program began over spring break 2015, and now takes place each winter, mid-winter and spring break. During summer vacation, IFCB runs its own summer lunch program.

This winter break, over 600 boxes of food were donated to pickup locations at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Issaquah, Valley Church in Renton and Highlands Gardens Apartments in Klahanie, which Rice said was a record.

“It was a really successful food drive … It was great to see people come together to help feed the kids in our community,” she said.

Rice noted that in a more well-off suburb like Issaquah, people may assume that the need isn’t as great. However, despite the city’s larger-than-average percentage of wealthy households, she said that there are still plenty of families struggling with food insecurity.

“Hunger here is often much more hidden … it can definitely be forgotten or thought that it’s not a problem,” Rice said.

While the program was started by IFCB, Rice said that community members have really taken the reins and made it as successful as it has become.

“The really cool thing about this program is, it’s really community-driven,” Rice said.

To participate in Lunch for the Break over mid-winter break and spring break, visit www.lunchforthebreak.com.

Volunteers collect meals for families in need. Photo courtesy of Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank