Tag Archives: backpack feeding

 Dear Friends,

I grew up in a pretty average family. My parents were down-to-earth, hard-working people who sometimes struggled to make ends meet. There was seldom extra money, yet there were always unexpected medical costs, auto repairs, and other expenses that seemed to pop up. I know my folks sometimes worried about how they were going to pay all the bills, and there were periods where their finances were not very good. Even so, we never went without food, and in fact, many of my most-cherished childhood memories center around my parents’ delicious cooking and shared family meals. There was always an abundance of quality food on our dinner table, and holidays and larger family gatherings, often held at my grandparents’ homes, were the site of absolute feasts.

When I read statements like this one — nearly 13 million children in the United States live in homes that do not have enough food to feed all of the family members — I find myself in a state of shock.

I cannot imagine being truly hungry! 

So when I read statements like this one — nearly 13 million children in the United States live in homes that do not have enough food to feed all of the family members — I find myself in a state of shock. I do not want to believe that children of any age, in the United States or any place else in our world, are starving, yet they are. According to a United Nations report, globally, approximately 25,000 children die daily from malnutrition and hunger. These deaths are all largely preventable, if we will just work together to avert this crisis.

A key component of Children Incorporated’s work is providing food to those who need it. We do this through not only child sponsorship, but also through our international and United States feeding programs. For as long as our organization has been around — 58 years and counting! — we have made sure that children and families’ food needs are met. We do this through the generosity and support of our loyal donors, people like you, who give so that others may receive. We are asking for your help once again. 

I cannot imagine being truly hungry, yet I know many are. I am thankful for reputable and honest organizations like Children Incorporated that are working to feed, as well as clothe and educate, thousands of children each day. The knowledge that so many people care and are working together for the common good gives me hope for the future!

Today, I am asking you to help us provide for hungry children. Our Feeding Program Fund buys daily meals for children, as well as fills back packs full of food items for children to take home on the weekends. Without our support, these special children will go without the nutrients they need to survive and thrive — so please, our loyal supporters, I am asking that you contribute to this fund today. Without you, our work cannot be done. 

From the heart, 

Ronald H. Carter

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Boyd County Middle School is located in the isolated and rural town of Cannonsburg, Kentucky.

When children don’t eat enough, it can shorten their attention span, lower their IQ and keep them from performing well in school.

Like many of Kentucky’s Eastern Coal Field communities, Cannonsburg has suffered significantly from the decline of the coal mining industry. At the height of the coal operations, Boyd County was an essential and active port city for the transport of coal along the Ohio River.

Today, many of its residents live in dismal poverty. Illiteracy and high dropout rates are significant problems in the area.

Thankfully, students at Boyd County Middle School have caring teachers and staff that work hard to motivate and educate them so that they can graduate and become successful members of their community.

A newly renovated school

Not only do students at the school have a supportive group of administrators to help them, but according to our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, they also have newly renovated school buildings to enjoy.

Unfortunately, for many children living in poverty, their only meals of the day can often be those they receive at school.

On a recent visit to Boyd County Middle School, Renée marveled at the new entrance façade, energy-efficient windows, improved access to the gym and a new bus loading/unloading area designed to help with traffic congestion during peak times — all updates from the last time she visited the school a few years ago.

A lack of adequate food at home

While at the school, Renée also got a chance to meet with our volunteer coordinator, Vicki. Vicki told Renée that Boyd County Middle School serves 729 students in sixth through eighth grades. Fifty-seven percent of those children come from low-income families. These children often come to school without proper clothes, shoes and school supplies. Many of them don’t have adequate food at home either.

“Vicki expressed to me that her biggest need is for more help with her Weekend Backpack Food Program, which is currently assisting over 100 children,” said Renée.

Why is backpack feeding necessary?

Sending children home on Friday afternoons with non-perishable, easy-to-prepare food ensures that they get enough food on weekends and holidays when they can’t rely on getting a nutritious meal at school.

Unfortunately, lack of food in the home for families living in poverty is an issue that many children in the United States face. According to Feeding America’s website, “Twenty-two million children receive free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program and the National School Breakfast Program. For many of these children, school meals may be the only meals they eat.”

Roughly 13 million kids in America today don’t have enough food to eat on the weekends. One in five kids in our country goes without access to affordable, nutritious food on Saturdays and Sundays. Lack of adequate food leads to health problems in addition to hunger. When children don’t eat enough, it can shorten their attention span, lower their IQ and keep them from performing well in school.

Because of these harsh realities, backpack feeding programs like Vicki’s at Boyd County Middle School are crucial for children. Sending children home on Friday afternoons with non-perishable, easy-to-prepare food ensures that they get enough food on weekends and holidays when they can’t rely on getting a nutritious meal at school.

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HOW DO I SUPPORT BACKPACK FEEDING PROGRAMS IN THE U.S.?

Our U.S. Feeding Program provides support for Backpack Feeding Programs at our affiliated projects. To donate, call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members, email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org or visit https://childrenincorporated.org/u-s-feeding-programs/ to make an online donation.

DONATE TO OUR U.S. FEEDING PROGRAM