KINGSTON — ShareNet Food Bank’s annual Neighbor Aid campaign has raised $15,145 as of Nov. 12.

That’s down from about $18,000 last November.

The donations go toward its annual operating budget.ShareNet is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit.

Many of ShareNet’s clients are older residents, but the food bank also benefits local school.

For about five years, Kingston schools have passed out bags of food to hungry students.

It’s done through a program called Food to Grow On, or F2GO, which itself is part of ShareNet. Four “core” volunteers make it work, said Mark Ince, executive director of ShareNet.

The size of the program tends to start small and finish big. Many families aren’t aware of the program, but as familiarity grows, so too does the number of kids.

“Part of that is counselors getting to know students,” Ince said

The schools keep the food in an office and then students pick them up near the end of the day.

Wolfle Elementary keeps its food in the main office. When the program began, it was able to fill one 3-foot-wide cabinet drawer with food. Now it’s up to three drawers, which says something because program participation increases as the year progresses.

Wolfle Elementary has 26-30 students participating in the program, but participation has reached as many as 40, according to Wolfle principal Ben Degnin.

About 100 students were in the program at the end of the 2014-15 school year, Ince said.

“It’s been pretty well received,” Degnin said. “The parents have appreciated it.”

ShareNet volunteers don’t often come face-to-face with the students the program provides for, but the response has been “overwhelmingly positive.”

“I think parents are really grateful for it and recognize its value,” Ince said.

To get involved with ShareNet or find out how you can help the Food 2 Grow On program, call Ince at 360-297-2266.