Meet one of The Idaho Foodbank’s School Partners providing Kids Programs for Idaho Food Insecure Children.
The Idaho Foodbank is kicking off their Back to School Campaign as part of a statewide effort to support kids all over Idaho. The Back to School campaign will raise awareness of, and funds for, The Idaho Foodbank’s children’s programs. According to Feeding America’s most recent Map the Meal Gap report, 18 percent of children in Idaho experience food insecurity. The Idaho Foodbank’s Backpack and School Pantry programs are an important piece of the collaborative work to solve childhood food insecurity in Idaho.
The Idaho Foodbank’s Backpack Program ensures that students who are food insecure have access to nutritious food over the weekend by providing nutritious, kid-friendly food at the end of the week during the school year. Meals consist of items that are easy to prepare and meet a child’s needs for Saturday and Sunday. Last year, The Foodbank provided over 80,000 Backpacks for children in Idaho.
The Idaho Foodbank’s School Pantry program helps provide families with food through a pantry set up inside the school, where access is convenient for students and their families. The Idaho Foodbank has nutritious and non-perishable items to help stock school pantry shelves. Last year, over 23,500 households were supported by School Pantries in Idaho.