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.
Thanks to Idaho Central Credit Union, each person that becomes a “Backpack Buddy” will be supporting two students, as ICCU will match up to $10,000.
The Idaho Foodbank’s Backpack program ensures that students who are chronically hungry have access to adequate food over the weekend by providing them with a backpack full of nutritious, kid-friendly food every Friday during the school year.
I have one student who was researching how to find food on his school computer, then we got him signed up for the program and he is excited every week when he gets a bag to take home.
School Survey
The Backpack Program does far more than satisfy an empty stomach. It improves child’s social, emotional and physical well-being. In addition, it creates happier families by relieving parents of the fear and anxiety associated with not being able to provide for their children. When basic needs are met, children and families can thrive.
Several schools in Southwest Idaho that participate in The Idaho Foodbank’s Backpack Program recognized that remote learning could decrease children’s access to food. To address the needs of those children, several schools got creative by loading school buses with ready-to-eat meals from the cafeteria, as well as Backpacks from The Idaho Foodbank. The buses followed their regular routes and were able to hand out this food at neighborhood stops.
We cannot thank the hard-working school counselors, teachers and administrators enough for making healthy food possible for thousands of children across Idaho this past year.
Kids have told me they would starve over the weekend without the bags. They are so happy to have the security of food bags and know they will not go hungry. Their parents are grateful as It helps kids feel cared for, their needs are met, and they do better at school.
School Coordinator
