Backpack program: Food for kids
We assemble approximately 2,000 sacks each week!
The Food Bank of Siouxland launched a new and very exciting program in October of 2006. In our first year of the program, four elementary schools in Sioux City received food sacks each week. We now serve five area elementary schools: Hunt, Irving, Liberty, Unity and Lewis & Clark. These buildings have an extraordinarily high rate of students participating in the free and reduced lunch program, so we know that food insecurity is a problem for many of these families. Chronically hungry children cannot learn and grow as they should, so our work to help them will have a far-reaching significant impact. We assemble approximately 2,000 sacks each week!
As the organization leading the charge for the BackPack Program: Food for Kids, the Food Bank is responsbile for procuring the food for the weekly sacks given to some area elementary school children. School vehicles deliver the sacks to the school buildings. On Fridays, the school staff places the food sacks in the students' backpacks to take home for the weekend.
We need your help, so we can help the children!
As a small nonprofit organization, there are two challenges for us to face as we work with the BackPack Program: money and time.
MONEY
The funding to support the program comes entirely from donations and grants. The foods purchased for the program must be kid-friendly, shelf-stable, and nutritionally sound, so it is important for us to choose wisely the items that compose the sacks each week. At this time, the Food Bank is working to secure the funding to purchase the foods for school year. With costs estimated at over $122,000, it is clear that a great deal of community support will be necessary. If you would like to help support this vital program, please send your check directly to the Food Bank c/o BackPack Program: Food for Kids, or donate via PayPal by clicking on the button on our home page and note "BackPack Program" in the message section.
TIME
The staff at the Food Bank of Siouxland relies on the support of groups of volunteers to assemble sacks each week. The packing is done in the Food Bank warehouse on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, with the time dependent on the wishes of the volunteers. Both during the work day and evenings are open. Volunteer gschedules are set each fall starting the Tuesday after Labor Day. Businesses, youth, athletic, or religious groups and organizations with 10-15 people available to help with sack assembly, can sign up by contacting Katie Roberts at (712) 255-9741.