Childhood Hunger

Help Idaho’s children grow and learn through supporting their nutritional needs and providing families with access to additional resources to live healthy lives and thrive.

Idaho is home to more than 75,000 kids with food insecurity – meaning they lack access at times to enough food to support a healthy and active lifestyle. Knowing that more than 16% of children in Idaho may not get enough to eat is a problem by itself, but its implications extend well beyond hunger pangs. Children facing food insecurity have a higher risk of falling behind in school, having lower test scores, and are more likely to exhibit behavioral problems.

Through the Back to School campaign, The Idaho Foodbank is raising critical funding to ensure kids have the food they need to thrive through the Backpack and School Pantry programs. Thanks to the Hansberger Foundation, Constance C. and Linwood A. Lacy, Jr. Foundation, Douglas and Meredith Carnahan, Donald Flora, and other friends of the Foodbank, all gifts up to $87,500 will be matched to support Back to School programming.

The Backpack Program provides enough food in one bag for two breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners, and two snacks. This bag fits into a child’s backpack on the last day of the school week so they have enough food to eat over the weekend. These foods are nutritious, shelf-stable, and easy for a child to prepare and eat if there is not an adult around.

Become a Backpack Buddy today!