McKenna Knight

When the weekend arrives for students at John Rogers Elementary in Seattle, WA, some of them go home to empty cupboards and may not have access to their next meal until they return to the school cafeteria on Monday morning. McKenna Knight is working to change those circumstances for young people in need.

Knight leads the Healthy HIP Packs program, a project of Hunger Intervention Program. Her efforts are contributing to solve a problem that pervades the entire state: according to data from Hunger Intervention Program, one in four Washington youth live in households where families experience hunger.

Healthy HIP Packs addresses food insecurity that many children experience when school lets out for the weekend. Knight coordinates a group of volunteers via United Way of King County who collect, sort assemble and distribute meals and snacks at several schools in Seattle each Friday to give to students who face food insecurity challenges. In one year, as many as 9,700 meals are distributed.

Lending her time and dedication to lead volunteers who help young people in need, McKenna Knight stands out as a Daily Point of Light.