I know all of us have seen the price of groceries skyrocket. It has become extremely difficult for families to afford basic food items. Sadly, food insecurity is prevalent in our community. Many children who rely on free lunches during the school year go home to meager or no meals on weekends.  The Backpack Buddies program works to fill that gap. Backpack Buddies is a children’s weekend feeding program. Throughout the school year the staff and teachers at Rock Port school help identify the children they feel may be food insecure. Children must qualify for free school lunches and have permission from the guardian to be in our Backpack Buddies Program.

In order to provide for weekend food needs, our committee purchases food, packs individual bags for each child, and on Fridays, the bags are placed in the students’ backpacks each week throughout the school year. Each food bag contains two breakfast items, two entrée items, two fruits or vegetables and several snacks. The sacks are filled with non-perishable name brand, child friendly, and vitamin fortified items of food. Examples of food items in the backpacks include fruit cups, Kraft macaroni and cheese, Chef Boyardee canned meals, Ramen noodle cups, granola bars, beef jerky, peanut butter crackers, canned vegetables, individual boxes of cereal, instant flavored oatmeal, trail mix, veggie straws, applesauce pouches, along with numerous other items throughout the year. The food is given to the children discreetly to avoid inviting unwanted attention.

We need to raise funds for the Rock Port Backpack Buddies Program to continue and our committee is willing to work hard to raise these funds. We hope you will consider supporting a child for the Backpack Buddies Program. The cost to provide backpack meals for a child for the entire school year approximately $275.  A donation of any amount is welcome and very much appreciated.  All donations are tax deductible and 100% of your donation will go toward food for children in the Rock Port School District.