September is here and it is time to go back to school. The days where the halls are filled with excitement, laughter, and students being given every opportunity to grow and thrive.

Ten years ago, we piloted the BackPack Program in a small neighborhood school, that sent food bags home with children that were identified as possibly struggling with getting enough food over the weekends.

The mission of the program is to meet the needs of children living in food insecure homes by providing them with nutritious and easy-to-prepare food to take home on weekends and school vacations when other resources such as school breakfast and lunch programs are not available.

Studies have shown when students skip meals on the weekends, they have lower academic performance, have a difficult time paying attention, and often act out, disrupting the entire class. After the introduction of the BackPack Program, school report, higher attendance, better performance and increased attention during class times.

Thanks to generous individual support and grants from Red Nose Day and Feeding America the success of the program has spread to 118 schools across Montana for the 2018 – 2019 school year.

In the past 10 years, the BackPack Program has spread to schools across Montana and has sent over 2.5 million pounds of food home with over 16,000 Montana children and families.

Students receiving their bags have a chance to report back how they feel about their bags also. (Picture scans from actual backpack recipients ages K – 3^rd grade)

If you would like more information regarding the BackPack Program or how to start a program in your area, check out our BackPack Program page. You can also support this and all of our programs working to end hunger in Montana by making a donation today.