Want to help fight hunger in your community? Here are some helpful tips for how to support your local backpack program at your local schools or food banks.
Supporting your Local Backpack Program
As a mom, you try your best to give your child everything they need. Breakfast, lunch, dinner snacks seem to become a part of your everyday thoughts. Complaining with friends you can’t seem to get them to eat enough or are tired of packing lunches become simple conversations with friends.
Judging by the popularity of our Helping Packing Kids Lunches, Recipes and Cooking with Kids Pinterest Boards I know it’s something we look for constantly in our lives.
What if your biggest worry was where is the next meal coming from? It’s alarming to me to hear that stats that 1 out of 5 kids families don’t know where their next meal is coming from. I would really love for you to reach out in your community and see how you can connect on some level with these specific children.
This month is Hunger Awareness Month with the campaign GO ORANGE for No Kid Hungry. I’ve been inspired watching many of my blogging friends share their ideas as a part of Moms Fighting Hunger.
One special mom I’ve kept my eye on for the past few years has impacted others at our local school. She runs the backpack program for the kids at our school.
I think it’s such a great program I wanted to share about it with you so perhaps you can connect with your child with their peers and makes sure our children are provided for. The program is anonymous.
It’s called Feeding America Backpack Program.
Backpack food programs offer families free groceries for weekends and school breaks. Food backpacks include healthy, easy-to-prepare food for kid-friendly meals.
Feeding America member food banks partner with schools, Boys and Girls Clubs, and community centers to distribute backpacks to kids.
Just check out the website and it will bring you to your local food bank and you can get involved!
I know budgets are tight in most of our homes but if you watch your weekly ads at the store you can really make an impact with BOGO items such as box foods, canned goods, and even in-season fresh fruits and vegetables.
The site coordinators simply send home a backpack with the child on Friday night and it gets returned on Monday morning. During the school week, the students would typically receive breakfast and lunch from the school and this way it ensures that their weekends are also supported with food.
How can I help?
There are many ways you can help BackPack Programs across the country.
- Volunteer. Many BackPack programs rely on regular volunteers. Volunteers pack backpacks, set up distributions, and pass out backpacks to students.
- Donate. In 2020, network BackPack programs served over 52 million meals. You can support Feeding America or your local food bank.
- Host. If you want to become a backpack site, reach out to your nearest member food bank. Feeding America distributes food and funds to member food banks.
There are many other ways to connect with your local community with projects that support No Kid Hungry. The solution is as simple as 1,2,3…Action, Education and Awareness.
Together we can attack this problem with our nation’s kids and ensure that NO Kid is Hungry.
Take the First Step today and Pledge to Support No Kid Hungry {Click Here}
Do you have an idea to help support No Kid Hungry?
You may also find these community outreach ideas helpful…
Great post! We always use a chance to contribute to Second Harvest food bank and now I got daughter hooked on freerice.org. She is fascinated by the fact that she is helping real people while answering questions online. Usually she fills 2 bowls of rice every night while donating 5 minutes of her precious computer time.