The Idaho Foodbank kicks off back to school campaign to fight childhood hunger
News Release
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – The Idaho Foodbank is kicking off their Back to School Campaign as part of a statewide effort to support kids all over Idaho. The Back to School campaign will raise awareness of, and funds for, The Idaho Foodbank’s children’s programs.
According to Feeding America’s most recent Map the Meal Gap report, 16 percent of children in Idaho experience food insecurity. The Idaho Foodbank’s Backpack and School Pantry programs are an important piece of the collaborative work to solve childhood food insecurity in Idaho. ICCU is the statewide sponsor of The Idaho Foodbank’s Back to School Campaign.
The Idaho Foodbank’s Backpack Program ensures that students who are food insecure have access to nutritious food over the weekend by providing nutritious, kid-friendly food at the end of the week during the school year. Meals consist of items that are easy to prepare and meet a child’s needs for Saturday and Sunday. Last year, The Foodbank provided over 68,000 Backpacks for children in Idaho.
The Idaho Foodbank’s School Pantry program helps provide families with food through a pantry set up inside the school, where access is convenient for students and their families. The Idaho Foodbank has nutritious and non-perishable items to help stock school pantry shelves. Last year, over 15,000 households were supported by School Pantries in Idaho.
“Our Backpack and School Pantry programs have a meaningful impact on the lives of Idaho children and their families,” said Randy Ford, President and CEO of The Idaho Foodbank. “We are proud of our partnerships with schools that allow us to work together to help children have access to nutritious food so they can focus on learning.”
The Bayer Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer in the U.S., recently awarded The Idaho Foodbank a $10,000 grant to support the Backpack Program. This grant will help the community in eastern Idaho by supporting The Idaho Foodbank’s work to ensure kids have the food they need when they are not in school.
“Bayer Fund is honored to support The Idaho Foodbank’s Backpack Program and their ongoing work to address food security in eastern Idaho,” said Michael Parrish, President of Bayer Fund. “Programs like the Backpack Program help combat the critical issue of food insecurity, and we’re proud to play a role with helping even more people gain access to healthy, nutritious food.”
Community members can help by donating any amount to The Idaho Foodbank’s children’s programs. You can learn more about these programs and how you can support them at: idahofoodbank.org/backtoschool.
If you or someone you know needs food assistance, please go to The Idaho Foodbank’s Food Assistance Locator at idahofoodbank.org.