Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
August means back to school so it is once again time to think about the Backpack Program.
The Hunger Free Food Pantry is looking for donors to sponsor a child for the Backpack Program for the 2022-23 school year. The cost is $5 a week per child, which is $190 for the year or $95 for half a year. The kids take home a backpack of food on Fridays and it provides them breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack items to help them get by over the weekend. Last year they served on average 11 children weekly.
In 2017 the pantry added the Second Helpings Program. They work together with the hot lunch program at the school to provide second helpings to children in need.
Families who are on free or reduced meals at the school would normally be charged for seconds, so many children are not able to access them. This program will allow them to have second helpings on the days they are extra hungry. The food pantry spends around $250 a month on second helpings at NR-S school.
Childhood hunger has an impact in our communities. During the school year more than 33,000 children across North Dakota qualify for and greatly rely on the federal free and reduced lunch program to meet their daily nutritional needs. But on weekends, many of these children struggle with hunger.
Hunger amongst our children can have lifelong and extremely costly consequences. Hungry children suffer physical, emotional and developmental impairment. They are sick and hospitalized more often. Hungry children don’t learn as well at school, which in turn, limits their potential and productivity as adults. Adults who experienced hunger as children are often not as well prepared mentally, emotionally, physically, or socially to perform in today’s work environment.
Would you be interested in sending home a backpack of food with a child each weekend or help supplement the second helpings program? If so, please send donations First Lutheran Church, 436 1st Ave. N., New Rockford. Thanks for helping with the hunger fight in our community!
