LEWISTON — Kaydenz Kitchen began with a giving couple and their 9-year-old daughter who wanted to help families in the community.

Kayden Boilard, with the help of her parents, Kevin and Kristie, started a food pantry for local families in need and in over an month they’ve delivered 25 packages.

When the Boilards asked her if she was interested in starting a food pantry, she was excited about the prospect.

“It’s something we had discussed as a family for a little while now,” Kevin said. “Once we saw Kayden’s interest in the idea, we knew this was an opportunity to help create an organization she could grow with. The more we talked about it, the more time went by with no action. One night at the grocery store we just started adding “extra” items to our cart and started building the organization from there.

“We have food on hand and people reach out to us for themselves, for others, and for family,” Kevin said. “They reach us through my cellphone, our Facebook page, and in person.

“We have a standard care package with the necessities, and then we try to add other things depending on the size of the family or if they have kids,” he said.

“We’re going to start adding books to the care packages for families with kids. We want to encourage reading,” Kevin said.

He said the current care package consists of $20 to $30 worth of food, depending on the family size.

Kayden said the standard items include canned vegetables, soup, milk, cereal, rice, and bread. The extras include cookies and other treats. They put the packages together at home, and then go out and deliver them.

“Most people we’re helping don’t have a means of transportation,” Kevin said. He added that fresh foods are purchased within 24 hours of delivery.

“We had been helping a family get back on their feet and were delivering care packages weekly to them. The father was looking for work, but struggling to get hired,” Kevin said. “A couple weeks ago he reached out thanking us again for all of the help and let me know he had found a job. He mentioned our donations helped him and his family get by until he landed the job.”

He said the family has been self-sufficient since. “These are the little things that give us the drive to continue and do whatever we can,” he said.

Kayden’s parents do the grocery shopping and handle the money, but she does most of the packaging and goes on most of the deliveries. “Beginning to end, she’s a fixed asset in the process,” he said. “We do the financial aspect, but she does the legwork.”

“We would love for her to grow with this organization throughout her school years and take it over in full, if it has the longevity we are aiming for,” Kevin said.

The family had their first food drive April 10-16 and it went well. They raised over $500 in food and cash donations from over 50 people.

A local family holds an egg hunt every year and chooses a local fundraiser or family to give the proceeds. “He chose Kaydenz Kitchen this year” Kevin said.

He said they’ve had a good response from the community. “We’ve gotten good reviews online on our Facebook page, and good feedback from local banks and the Good Shepherd Food Bank.”

He said the community has reached out in support, and they’re still hearing back from people with bottles and cash after the end of the fundraiser.

They’re looking into other fundraising opportunities and looking at what avenue to take for the next one.

Kevin said they’ve started working on becoming a nonprofit company.

“It will help with fundraising,” he said.

They also want to make sure there’s stability, and “it will open a lot of avenues, and increase our bulk food purchasing opportunities.”

“It would drastically increase our ability to help families and increase our reach,” Kevin said.

They’re shopping for the best deals at stores, and they have friends sharing coupons.

Kevin said they will partner with SeniorsPlus to donate care packages for them to deliver.

He said they want to reach as many as possible who need help.

Last year, they put together 20 schoolbags and looked for families in need. “We had an overwhelming response.”

And last Christmas they gave away over 100 matchbox cars for families to give as gifts.

“We’re very fortunate in our situation. We could go to Ruby Tuesday and spend $50 for an hour, or we could put together two or three packages for the community,” Kevin said. “For people who struggle to have the bare necessities, it becomes an easy decision to make.”

Kayden Boilard checks her standard care package items list while her father, Kevin, looks on at their home in Lewiston.

If you know someone looking for help, of if you’d like to donate to the Boilards’ food pantry, visit facebook.com/KaydenzKitchen or call Kevin Boilard at 577-7942.

Kayden Boilard checks her list of standard care package items at Kayden’s Kitchen in her home in Lewiston.

Kayden Boilard, 9, ties up a bag for a care package at her home in Lewiston. Kayden’s Kitchen collects food for needy families.

Kayden Boilard, 9, shows items for a care package that she and her father were about to deliver from their home in Lewiston. Kayden’s Kitchen food pantry began over a month ago and has delivered 25 packages to people in need.

Kayden Boilard, 9, gathers items for a care package at her home in Lewiston. Kayden’s Kitchen began operations over a month ago and has delivered 25 packages to people in need.

Kayden Boilard

Kayden Boilard stands with her parents, Kristie and Kevin Boilard, of Lewiston. The family began a food pantry at their home to help people in the community.