Connecting with the Community: Ecumen North Branch and Viking Vittles

Ecumen North Branch is always looking for meaningful ways to engage with their community and make a positive impact. One special initiative that their residents look forward to every two weeks is the partnership with the Viking Vittles program, a local effort to support food-insecure students in the North Branch Area.

Here’s how it works: every two weeks, the Viking Vittles team drops off totes filled with brown paper lunch bags and stickers to Ecumen North Branch. The residents then roll up their sleeves and get to work—placing stickers on each lunch bag, turning them into a colorful part of a much larger effort. Once the bags are ready, they’re picked up and packed with meals for local schoolchildren in need.

It’s a simple yet impactful task, and the residents absolutely love it. It provides them with the opportunity to contribute to something bigger than themselves and connect with the local kids in a meaningful way. Knowing that their small act of kindness is part of a larger effort to support food-insecure students brings everyone a sense of purpose and pride.  

What is Viking Vittles?

Viking Vittles is a weekend backpack program created to help students in the North Branch Area Public Schools who face food insecurity. The program provides bags of food to children from pre-K through grade 5, ensuring that they have enough to eat over the weekend when school meals aren’t available. The program was launched in 2019 by Trinity Lutheran Church, in partnership with Family Pathways, and has grown with the support of the local community.

By partnering with Viking Vittles, Ecumen North Branch residents have a chance to make a real difference in the lives of local children. This simple act of packing lunch bags is a reminder of the power of community and the joy that comes from helping others, no matter how small the task may seem.

A Heartwarming Connection

For the Ecumen North Branch residents, the opportunity to contribute to such a meaningful cause is more than just an activity—it’s a way to stay connected with the broader community and feel involved in something that truly matters. It’s also a chance to leave a legacy of kindness and support for the children in their own backyard.

As the Viking Vittles program continues to grow, so too does the spirit of giving in our community. They are proud to be a part of this wonderful initiative, and they look forward to continuing to work together to ensure that no child goes hungry over the weekend.

Thank you to Viking Vittles, Trinity Lutheran Church, Family Pathways, and all those who support this program.