Access to food is everything for a child.
It fuels their ability to play, learn, grow, and simply be a kid. Yet for far too many families, consistent access to nutritious meals isn’t guaranteed. In Utah alone, one in six children experiences food insecurity—often relying on school meals as their primary source of nutrition. When schools close for the holidays, that safety net disappears.
That’s where the USANA Kids Eat Holiday Bag Project comes in.
Each December, this community-wide effort ensures children don’t go without food during school breaks—offering stability, nourishment, and care during a season that can otherwise be overwhelming for families facing hunger.
2025: Our Biggest Year Yet
This year, the Holiday Bag Project reached more kids than ever before.
- 5,143 holiday food bags donated
- 205,720 meals provided
- 158 families and organizations participated
- 632 volunteers gave their time
- 1,896 volunteer hours donated
Together, these efforts represent more than $128,575 in gift-in-kind donations, making 2025 the largest Holiday Bag Project to date, surpassing last year’s 5,028 bags.
But while the numbers matter, the true impact of the Holiday Bag Project is found in the people behind the bags.
Families Serving Families
For many participants, packing holiday bags has become a cherished tradition.
“The Alvord family had the best time putting our Christmas food bags together,” shared the Alvord family. “Doing this project helped us remember what is most important this season, and it felt so good to serve others.”
Others described choosing service over gifts. “In lieu of giving gifts this year, we decided to use the money to pack these bags—and we loved it,” said Taylour Shaw. “It was amazing that every member of our family could be involved, from ages 3 to 65.”
For Taunei Bailey, the Holiday Bag Project is a rhythm of family life. “We’ve served with USANA as a family for the past four years. We’re thankful for the opportunity to serve together—it means so much to us.”
And for some families, the tradition spans generations. Jarica Warner and her family recently celebrated their 10-year anniversary participating in the project:
“We began when it was a small neighborhood effort—a simple spreadsheet emailed among friends. I love this project because it gave me a meaningful way to teach my children, especially when they were very young, that consistent acts of care matter most during seasons when need feels heaviest. For ten years, my kids have seen how their hands can make another child’s life a little warmer and a little easier.”
Community, Youth, and Shared Purpose
The Holiday Bag Project also brings together students, teams, and community groups.
“My son participated through National Honor Society—it was a great experience,” said Angie Hansen.
Janel Williams shared how meaningful the project was for her teen ballroom dance group, calling it “an amazing experience” and thanking USANA Kids Eat for helping them serve together.
For organizers like Rachel Anderson, the project keeps growing year after year. “Every year, more families want to help. This year, we packed 30 bags with help from 28 families. The kids had so much fun loading them.”
And for Anya Neidig, the tradition continues strong: “Four years running! We love serving the kids in our community—this has become one of our favorite holiday traditions.”
Filling the Gaps When School Is Out
Since December 2019, USANA Kids Eat has provided tens of thousands of meals to Utah children during school breaks—thanks to the generosity of families, volunteers, and local supporters.
USANA Health Sciences employees play a key role as well, packing bags, delivering food, and donating resources to ensure kids are supported when they need it most.
As Susan Andrus, a USANA Customer Service Representative and longtime participant, shared:
“We don’t want to see kids go without food when they’re off for the holidays—or any time of year. Nutrition is so important. Seeing the smiles, the gratitude—it fills my heart with joy.”
Want to Get Involved?
If you’re looking for a meaningful, family-friendly way to serve during the holiday season, the Holiday Bag Project is a simple and powerful opportunity.
USANA Kids Eat provides the bags. You provide the food, pack them, and deliver them to a local school. It’s both a donation and a hands-on service experience—and one that makes an immediate difference for kids in our community.
“The smallest act makes a huge impact for these kids,” Susan says. “We’ll definitely be participating again—and bringing even more people with us.”
Together, we can make sure no child goes hungry during the holidays—and remind kids across Utah that their community cares.
