Rumford Elementary School students and staff help members of the River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition place bags of donated food in front of the school office Tuesday. (Rumford Falls Times photo by Marianne Hutchinson)

RUMFORD — Members of the River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition brought dozens of bags of food to area schools Tuesday to feed hungry families during school vacation next week.

Tavia Melhus, director of RVHCC, along with staff members Allie Burke and Melissa Harding, helped to carry in 150 bags to Rumford Elementary School, Meroby Elementary School in Mexico and Dirigo Elementary School in Peru.

“This is the second time we’ve done this this year,” Melhus said. The first was before Christmas vacation and another is planning before the end of the year, she said.

Packed neatly inside the bags donated by KeyBank of Rumford were staples such as cereal, crackers, juice, tomato sauce and noodles, and toothbrushes and toothpaste from an oral health grant received by RVHCC.

Rumford Elementary School Principal Jill Bartash helped organize the 50 bags of food stacked outside the school office.

“We give all the bags away,” she said.

“We send home 50-plus backpacks of food every Friday,” she said.

“We feed kids throughout the summer but we don’t currently have a feeding program for vacation,” she added.

mhutchinson@sunmediagroup.net

Rumford Elementary School educational technician Lori Cayer, left, and fifth-grade student Damian Amburg bring 50 bags of donated food the school Tuesday. Members of the River Valley Healthy Community Coalition donated the items for families during school vacation next week. (Rumford Falls Times photo by Marianne Hutchinson)