in a Backpack
A Difference
Just Food
are more likely to attend school and are able to take advantage of educational opportunities.
Blessings in a Backpack
Programs in Michigan administered by the Community Foundation of Greater Rochester
Blessings In a Backpack is a “neighbor-helping-neighbor” program that is designed to help meet the nutritional needs of school-age children.
Each week, volunteers, in cooperation with school officials, distribute backpacks filled with enough non-perishable food for the weekend (six meals) to “hunger insecure” school-age children. These students are participants in the government subsidized Free or Reduced Fee Lunch Program.
The goal of the Blessings in a Backpack program is to keep these children from going hungry on the weekends and remove barriers to academic success.
You can support Blessings in a Backpack by participating in one of our upcoming events.
May 6, 2024 – SFL Charity Scramble
Avondale – Blessings in a Backpack
June 8, 2024 – Golfing “FORE” Backpacks
Wyandotte – Blessings in a Backpack
BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK MISSION AND VISION
MISSION STATEMENT
Blessings in a Backpack mobilizes communities, individuals, and resources to provide food on the weekends for school-aged children across America who might otherwise go hungry.
VISION STATEMENT
Every school-aged child in America has the nourishment needed to learn and grow. As a leader in the movement to end childhood hunger, Blessings in a Backpack strives to ensure children do not go hungry on the weekends by empowering individuals and communities to take action.
GOALS
- Remove the barrier to learning caused by hunger-insecurity in school-age children
- Raise awareness of the problem of childhood hunger
- Expand the program to other schools and communities
If you are interested in learning more about the National Blessings in a Backpack program follow this link to the National Blessings in a Backpack website.
Blessings in a Backpack Receives Grant from Conagra Brands Foundation
Employee-driven program fosters local impact throughout Hunger Action Month
Story by Conagra Brands, Inc., prnewswire.com
In support of Hunger Action Month and its commitment to combating food insecurity, the Conagra Brands Foundation has announced the 2023 recipients of the “Nourish Our Community” grants. Through these grants, 20 nonprofits across 10 states are awarded funding, totaling $350,000. The grants will help to create positive social impact in the communities where its employees live and work.
Each September, the Nourish Our Community grants are distributed to employee-nominated nonprofit organizations that address the issue of domestic hunger and food insecurity, cooking skills, nutrition education, healthy and active lifestyle and/or urban agriculture. In addition to the initial nominations, Conagra employees play an integral role in the review, analysis, discussion and selection process, with the final slate of grant recipients being determined by a cross-functional committee of employees.
“For over a quarter of a century, the Nourish our Community grant program has encouraged and empowered our employees to take a stand against hunger and food insecurity within their local communities,” said Robert Rizzo, Senior Director, Conagra Brands Foundation. “These nonprofits do important work that has a meaningful impact on the lives of children, teens, adults and seniors in our community. Through these partnerships, we are not only raising awareness, but providing essential funding to support vital direct services reaching many Americans that are impacted by food insecurity.”
Hunger Action Month, a Feeding America initiative, aims to raise awareness for and take action on the issue of food insecurity in the United States. Conagra Brands Foundation’s longstanding partnership with Feeding America includes a unique combination of efforts that involve employee volunteerism, product donations and cash contributions. Conagra’s philanthropic efforts support national research that increases the collective understanding of the issue of hunger and its impact on vulnerable populations and diverse communities; direct service that improve access to nutritious and culturally relevant food through capacity building efforts that increase front line hunger relief agencies efforts to better serve the community and, national efforts to advance equity, diversity and inclusions efforts. Conagra also provides significant product donations that are distributed to Feeding America’s network of 200 food banks.
BANKSGIVING
In November 2022, Blessings in a Backpack was selected as First State Bank’s Banksgiving Grand Prize Winner. Besides the grant money provided First State Bank developed this short video which they use to help promote the Blessings in a Backpack program to their employees and customers. Please take a few minutes and view the great work First State Bank is doing for Blessings in a Backpack.