Through Feeding America, the Southeast Texas Food Bank is committed to eradication childhood hunger. The mission of the BackPack Program is to help alleviate child hunger in our eight counties by providing hungry children with nutritious and easy-to-prepare food at times when other resources are not available, such as weekends and school vacations. The program provides backpacks filled with food that is child friendly, nonperishable, and easily-consumed.
The school staff is given a checklist and then they make referrals accordingly. Backpack foods are discreetly distribute to each eligible student by school personnel in one of our thirty schools that qualify. An average of 1,200 children receive this service on the last day before the weekend or holiday vacation.
At the present time, there are not federal child nutrition programs to offset costs for BackPack Food Programs. Therefore, we rely on friends, churches, civic organizations, and companies that are willing to support a worthwhile program.
