TUFF Bags Program Kicks Off School Year, Feeding Nearly 2,000 Students Weekly
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (Sept 3, 2026) – The TUFF Bags program is back in action, sending weekend food bags home with students so they don’t go hungry away from school.
Director Lisa Walker says the program serves nearly 2,000 students each week across six Tuscarawas County school districts.
Volunteers from the County Clovers 4‑H Club recently helped with the first packing day of the new school year, turning out 3,200 bags in under 90 minutes at the TUFF Bags warehouse.
Walker says financial contributions are always welcome. She buys food in bulk, and says $100 can feed one child every weekend — including summers — for an entire year.
TUFF Bags holds its biggest fundraiser of the year tonight — the 5th annual Feeding Our Future Gala at ProVia in New Philadelphia — with a goal of raising $75,000.