The Backpack Program
We can help end childhood hunger in our community - one backpack at a time.
50% of the children sitting in classrooms across our community are enrolled in the federally subsidized breakfast and lunch program. This is the only source of good nutrition for many of these children. What happens when they go home and there is little or no food to eat - especially over the weekends?
That is where the Backpack Program enters.
Research tells us that when children experience even occasional hunger, they may have trouble concentrating, aggressive tendencies, stunted growth and increased likelihood of obesity. Plain and simple - hunger hurts kids!
Female Leaders in Philanthropy (FLIP), a United Way of the Ozarks Initiative, will address childhood hunger in our community by sponsoring the Backpack Program. FLIP has partnered with Ozarks Food Harvest, Springfield Public Schools, and business and industry to create awareness and generate funds to expand a program currently feeding hungry children over the weekends - one backpack at a time.
The Backpack Program is one of Ozarks Food Harvest's direct services which feed nearly 700 children in 28 elementary schools across the Ozarks every weekend of the school year. For the past 2 1-2 years, FLIP has provided funding to provide food for nearly 200 hungry kids in eight of those schools. The process is simple:
- The food is delivered to participating schools.
- Volunteers fill backpacks with nutritious, non-perishable, easy-to-open meals and snacks which are distributed to children to take home over the weekend.
- Children return backpacks on Monday and the process is repeated throughout the school year.
Over the next two years, FLIP will raise a total of $210,000 to expand the Backpack Program into 10 Springfield elementary schools. FLIP has pledged $45,000 to use as matching funds and has also established a Backpack Program endowment to ensure the program continues.
"Hunger does not take a holiday, nor does is take a summer break - it is 365 days a year! On behalf of FLIP, I challenge you, your business, church or organization to join un. We know that childhood hunger won't end with this Backpack Program, but we know it's a great start." -Dr. Nancy O'Reilly, FLIP Chair