Backpack
Our Backpack program helps children and families by providing weekend food support throughout the school year.
Children
Our Programs and partners
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School Pantry
The School Pantry program provides families with food through a pantry set up inside the school where access is convenient for students and family alike.
Summer Food
To ensure that children who rely on free or reduced-price meals at school are able to get the nutrition they need, the USDA is working with states to continue providing meals to students.
Childhood Hunger
Idaho is home to more than 46,000 kids with food insecurity – the lack of access at times to enough food to support a healthy and active lifestyle (Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap study). Knowing how many kids don’t get enough to eat is a problem by itself, but its implications extend well beyond hunger pains.
The Food Resource Action Center (FRAC) released a literature review of the health implications of hunger, and it shows that children with food insecurity are at higher risk of numerous conditions, including asthma, development delays, iron deficiency anemia, mental health problems, poor academic outcomes, and generalized lower health status.
We can help our children to grow and learn through supporting their nutritional needs and providing families with access to additional resources to live healthy lives and thrive.
Childhood Food Insecurity:
Our Impact
We can help our children grow and learn through supporting their nutritional needs and providing families with access to additional resources live healthy lives and thrive.
Review the Idaho Foodbank Children’s Program Impact Report for Fiscal Year 2024 for more information.
Help The Schools, Help The Students
Support The Idaho Foodbank’s School Pantry Program
Our school partners are focused on providing children with the support they need to learn, grow and thrive. You can help ensure students have the nutrition they need to do their best at school and at hope.
Become A Backpack Buddy
Support The Idaho Foodbank’s Backpack Program
During the school year, many low-income children have access to nutritious meals through their school’s free-and-reduced breakfast and lunch program. Unfortunately, on the weekends these same children go without food. Our Backpack program helps these children by providing weekend food support throughout the school year.
Locate Food Closest to You
Our food locator will help you find service providers in your area.
Additional Resources
Findhelpidaho.org collaborate includes various resources available across the state.