Weekend meals for kids can make all the difference in their lives. For many families, school is the main place where they get nutritious meals.
Schools offer free and reduced-priced meals that ensure children have the fuel they need to learn, grow, and thrive. We all know buying that food at the store is expensive.
For some families, it is out of the question.
That sad truth is, when the weekend arrives, those meals disappear. That’s why Second Harvest’s BackPack Program is so important. This program provides easy-to-prepare, kid-friendly food for children experiencing food insecurity.
We make sure kids have what they need when other resources are unavailable.
Nearly 6,800 children received BackPacks throughout the last school year. Each bag contains a variety of items, like cereal, milk, pasta, snacks, and juice, that children can open and enjoy on their own.
One parent shared:
“It has been more than a blessing to know that when things are hard, you can count on the BackPacks. All of the children have their own favorite in the bag, and sometimes they will even trade items. It just tickles them to death. It makes them feel special. Every Friday they hit the door screaming, ‘Mom, I got a bag again.’ The BackPacks have came in handy more times than I would like to admit. I’m just grateful my kids are a part of it!”
Another parent explained how the program makes a difference at home:
“I love my kids being able to have juice after school. We normally only have water, so juice is a treat around here. The BackPacks help fill in the gap when we are low on food, which happens a lot. We couldn’t be more appreciative of the BackPacks. Two of my kids get them every Friday.”
The BackPack Program is more than a bag of food. It’s a promise that kids will come to school on Monday fueled, happy, and ready to learn.
You can help provide that promise for kids in need.