Photo by Jamie Swank
Carbon Caring for Kids has received numerous recognitions for its efforts throughout the years. This trend continued on Thursday evening as the organization received the Carbon County Chamber of Commerce’s annual Community Service Award.
During the chamber’s annual banquet, Marcy Loveless and Tiffany Noyes from Carbon Caring for Kids accepted the award. The chamber board selected Carbon Caring for Kids for the award due to its unwavering commitment to serving local youth.
Carbon Caring for Kids was founded in 2016 after a conversation with a local school counselor. It had been discovered that many students went home on the weekends not knowing if they would have enough to eat. Noyes, Loveless and Randi-lyn Leonard then teamed up and successfully provided enough food for these students over Thanksgiving break in 2016.
“The response from the community was huge and they received more food than they needed for that one weekend,” said Lisa Mortenson, the Carbon County Chamber of Commerce Board President. “This is when they realized this problem wasn’t going away and as long as the community continued to donate food, they would continue to provide weekend kits for the kids that needed it.”
Now, six years later, Carbon Carings for Kids serves 160 students each weekend. The program has even grown to serve an additional 90 Emery County students through a second chapter of the organization. This is all made possible by food and monetary donations from the community as well as countless volunteer hours.
“Carbon Caring for Kids is continuously overwhelmed with the support that is received,” Mortenson said. “They, along with our community, are truly making a difference in a child’s life.”