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Backpacks see kids through weekends

Through the school week, students have access to meal programs. However, when the weekend comes around some do not have the food they need to see them through those couple days.

Judy Carswell, a coordinator for the People to People Backpack program which provides food for students in need, explained a couple years back there was some leftover money given through another program, and the schools were approached about creating a Backpack program. Though a federally funded program was initially looked at, Carswell said they found out they didn’t qualify for one and chose instead to create a local program with local support.

Since then, she said, they haven’t found a need for a federal program.

Once a month, a food delivery comes in, and volunteers help to pack 700 bags — the “Backpacks” — in one evening. During that same month, Carswell said, they typically deliver about 150 bags every weekend. They deliver to all three schools, and every Friday morning each building receives the number of bags needed. Food for the bags is purchased locally, and also provided through Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies. Each bag contains enough servings of easily prepared food to feed one child for the entire weekend, though extra may be sent home for holidays.

The students who receive the bags are selected by school officials from those in the free and reduced lunch program, and others as staff find. The food received is shelf-stable, and for the most part it is well accepted.

The community can get involved by volunteering their time. Volunteers are always needed for filling or delivering bags, delivering food from the stores or the food bank or for raising or donating funds. Carswell said it takes about 25-30 volunteers to pack the bags once a month, and about 20 every Friday to make the deliveries, which only take about 10 minutes.

Carswell stressed that any money received for the Backpack program goes to food, though there have been times when people have donated items, such as stockings during Christmas. People for People operates strictly on donations and grants, and has one fundraiser during the year, with the Christmas tree and wreath sale. Thermopolis is a community that believes in helping one another, Carswell said, and the volunteers have been very generous.

 

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