Floyd County borders the Ohio River in the rolling hills of southern Indiana. Over 16% of the county’s children live in poverty. The Blessings in a Backpack program feeds 2000 children each week, and for the past 13 years, a team of volunteers has been raising money year-round to fund the program.  

For the fifth year, the program has held a 5K run. Spirit nights are held at community restaurants, with a portion of proceeds funding the Blessings program. A Hoops for Hunger sponsorship gets a local company or organization mentioned at halftime during the Boys’ Varsity Basketball games. The Blessings volunteers work with a local concert venue and raffle off signed celebrity guitars to concertgoers.  

There are two high schools in the New Albany Floyd School District. This fall, the Class of 1995 from both schools is taking donations to the Blessings program for their 30th class reunion. Using the GiveGab platform, alumni can contribute $30, $95, or even $1995 for those who made it really big! Grant writing and other donations help raise money throughout the year, but one of the more unusual campaigns is Pigs for Kids. 

A local pottery shop, Earth and Fire, donates ceramic pigs to the Blessings program. Artists (including the many art teachers in the district, after-school art clubs, community members, and decorators) paint or decorate the ceramic piggy banks. One art teacher has her students sketch what the pig should look like. The students all vote for their favorite drawing, and she designs the pig based on the winning sketch. Others illustrate the design process through social media, creating a following for their pig before it ever reaches the public’s eye.  

While artists are designing their pigs, the Blessings volunteers are securing spots for the little piggies. Each pig is photographed, documented, and sent to market! Some end up on the counters of local restaurants, gas stations, and coffee shops, where they will collect coins at the beginning of the school year. Program Coordinator Anna Kordsmeier says she often must empty a pig’s coins two or three times a week from some locations. Others show off the pigs, feature a QR code for donations, and promote the event where you can purchase a pig.  

The pigs are collected and auctioned off in February at the Education Foundation’s annual gala. Last year, Pigs for Kids raised $10,000 for the Blessings program.  

Anna Kordsmeier decorates several pigs each year based on children’s book characters and says they are constantly trying new ideas and events. “If someone has passion and motivation to get something started, we are willing to try.” With community members and a couple of high school student representatives on their steering committee, new ideas are constantly generated.