Supporting Nutrition for Kids as School Begins
The start of the school year is approaching and we want all children to be able to focus on learning and not an empty stomach. According to Feeding America’s most recent Map the Meal Gap report, 18 percent of children in Idaho experience food insecurity. Children need nutritious food so they can grow, develop, and concentrate on learning. The Idaho Foodbank’s Backpack and School Pantry programs are an important piece of the collaborative work to help Idaho children who are food insecure.
The Idaho Foodbank’s Back to School Campaign will raise awareness of and funds for the Backpack and School Pantry programs. We have heard from the teachers and school employees that they have seen improvements in focus, mood, and overall behavior when their students who are food insecure are part of the Backpack or School Pantry programs.
We can help Idaho’s children grow and learn by supporting their nutritional needs and providing families with access to additional resources to succeed and live healthy lives. Partnerships with schools are essential to our child nutrition programs. Learn more about the impact of The Idaho Foodbank’s partnership with a school in Homedale here.
The Idaho Foodbank’s Backpack Program provides nutritious food for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks in a bag that fits into a child’s backpack. This food goes home with children at the end of the week during the school year. Last year, The Idaho 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. Last year, over 23,000 households in Idaho were supported by the School Pantry Program.
We appreciate Idaho Central Credit Union, the Statewide Presenting Sponsor for this Back to School Campaign to support Idaho kids.
You can learn more about these programs and how you can support them at: idahofoodbank.org/backtoschool/.