During coverage of previous stories, Foley Elementary School Principal William Lawrence has pointed out that a significant number of his students live below the poverty level. With little money supplying them with food, those students often come to school hungry and unable to concentrate on their education.

But one program designed to help fill the gap is Secret Meals, a program developed by Alabama Credit Union that allows teachers and administrative staff to anonymously provide food for students in need.

We at The Onlooker asked Michelle McClinton of ACU to tell us a little more about the program,.

Q. In South Baldwin County, how can people help?

A. It costs $120 to feed a child for an entire school year. With this being said, we are always taking donations from supporters. Currently, we have a fundraising campaign under way through the sales of our “Serving Alabama” cookbooks. Each cookbook costs $10 and all proceeds benefit the Secret Meals For Hungry Children program. If you’d like to make a monetary donation but do not want to purchase a cookbook, you can donate by visiting SecretMeals.org and using the PayPal option or visit any Alabama Credit Union branch.

Q. Where do the donations go? Will they stay in this area?

A. Absolutely. We currently serve three elementary schools in Baldwin County and the contributions made at branches in that area and those cookbook sales earmarked with the location go directly to supporting the schools in that area. Alabama Credit Union pays for all operational, administrative and promotional costs; therefore, every penny donated goes toward the purchase of food packs.

Q. What Baldwin County organizations do you work in conjunction with?

A. We work with the Bay Area Food Bank to package and deliver the food packs to the school. However, there is a local church (Liberty Baptist) that serves one school in the area.

Q. How long do people have to donate?

A. Any time. This program began in 2008, and since its inception we’ve never turned down a request for food packs. As long as funding continues, and we will make that happen, the program will continue to grow to meet the needs of the communities we serve.

Q. What kind of donations are you accepting?

A. Because the food used in the food packs must be board certified and FDA approved, we are unable to accept food donations. Thankfully, the Bay Area Food Bank takes care of the acquisition of the food and the assembly of the food packs. To volunteer with the Bay Area Foodbank, please contact Darcy Kelley at . Our current fundraising goal for Baldwin County is around $10,000 annually.

Q. Where can people in South Baldwin County donate?

A. Monetary donations are accepted and cookbooks are sold at any Alabama Credit Union branch. Locations in South Baldwin County include, Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, Fairhope and Foley. You can also order a cookbook online or make a monetary donation via PayPal by visiting SecretMeals.org. Even by donating online, you can ensure that funds donated benefit the Baldwin County area by selecting the location option during your PayPal donation.

Q. How long has Secret Meals been in place?

A. Alabama Credit Union created the Secret Meals For Hungry Children program in 2008 by partnering with the West Alabama Food Bank. The program began serving only 18 schoolchildren in West Alabama. Secret Meals now serves around 2,000 schoolchildren across the state including those in Baldwin County. By partnering with the Bay Area Food bank, we have been able to serve the Baldwin County area since August 2010.

Q. How may South Baldwin children have been helped?

A. Beginning in August 2010, we’ve served over 300 children in the Baldwin County area.