Backpack program gearing up

With the start of school just around the corner, it is time once again for the People for People Backpack program to get rolling.

The program is a group of volunteers in the community dedicated to stopping hunger for local children by filling backpacks with food that are distributed on Friday’s so they have something to eat over the weekend.

Many of our youngsters depend on the school lunch program to get their nutrition, and the backpack program ensures there are simple things the students can fix themselves to eat.

This summer was the first time the program served meals when school was out, mainly due to COVID-19. Their numbers jumped considerably, going from serving 165 to almost 200 throughout the summer.

There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer for the program like helping unload the truck when food is delivered. They receive approximately three tons of food every month.

You can also volunteer to pack the 600 to 700 bags of food dispersed to the children every month or help on Friday mornings when the totes are delivered to the schools.

Of course, monetary donations to the program are always welcome.

Over the summer the volunteers showed up under strict conditions from the pandemic, day after day, making sure the food was ready for distribution. The school district also went above and beyond, finding ways to get the food to the kids, even going so far as to deliver in person when they knew there was no way for the kids to get to them.

Families whose children are on free or reduced cost lunches through the school automatically qualify for the program during the school year, however, if they would rather not receive the backpacks, they will have the opportunity to “opt out”.

By the same token, if a family is not receiving the backpacks and believe they should qualify, they may contact the school for further information.

If you would like to volunteer or if you have questions about the Backpack program, please contact Judy Carswell at 921-8264.