THE BACKPACK FOR FOOD PROJECT
The Backpack for Food Project began in 2011 in one school; as of January 2013 fourteen schools are participating and 12 of them have sponsors.
Students are identified by their school principal or counselor as not having enough food for weekends. These are students who generally eat breakfast and lunch at the school during the week. Parents sign permission slips for the students to participate.
Students pick up their back packs on Fridays and return them on Monday mornings to a private area in the school.
Some schools are adopted by local churches or service organizations who commit to purchasing back packs and food for a certain number of students at those schools. Every week they fill each back pack with individually packaged, non-perishable food items, packing enough food for 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners and snacks. A suggested list of food items is given to the churches/organizations so food can be as nutritional as possible. At the beginning of every month each child gets a large jar of peanut butter and jelly. Someone from the church/organization is responsible for filling the backpacks and returning to school by noon on Fridays.
Schools that aren’t sponsored have school personnel who volunteer to oversee the project at their school and food items are donated by school staff, parents, and other concerned community members.
Why was this project started?
· Due to a variety of reasons, including the decline in our economy, more and more children are homeless or live in homes where families are unable to provide enough food for their children.
· Our school district has around 528 students who are declared homeless. These are only the ones we know of because many middle school/high school students will not report being homeless. Also, these are only the school age children – many have younger siblings at home that are not a part of this count. “Homeless” is defined as lacking a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence.
Our homeless students are living in emergency shelters, motels, cars, campers, tents in woods or abandoned houses. They include those abandoned in hospitals or awaiting foster care, migrant families and those living doubled up temporarily due to foreclosure, eviction or weather issues. (This last one is our largest population of homeless students, making up about 95%; they move 2 to 3 times per year.)
Research shows that 1 out of 3 homeless children repeats a grade in school and fewer than 25% graduate high school. In addition, homeless children go hungry at TWICE the rate of our other students.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:
1. Enlist your church or organization to sponsor a school.
2. Donate money to the Columbia County Public School Foundation for the purchase of backpacks, food and other supplies as needed.
3. Donate food to be used in the backpacks. Call the contact person below to find which schools are in need.
Should you have any questions or suggestions please contact:
Judy Tatem, Safe Schools Coordinator
Columbia County School District
386-755-8184
