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Boundary County Back Packs in full swing |
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February 20, 2012 |
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Julie Krezman
is loading cases of week-end food kits
for delivery to Trinity Lutheran Church. |
The Boundary County Back Pack program is in the
second successful semester of providing thirty
Naples school children with nutritious
supplemental weekend food kits.
The group contracts with Second Harvest Food
Bank in Spokane for the pre-packaged food which
includes an assortment of milk, cereal, juice,
fruit, pasta, etc. The kits cost $6.09 per
weekend pack per student.
Boundary County families face the additional
challenge of three day weekends because of the
four day school week, making the Back Pack
program a necessary part in the lives of many
local families.
The program is funded by caring community
citizens, organizations and a grant from the
Equinox Foundation. Each Wednesday, Anna Mae
Spalding and Barbara Binnall stuff the thirty
back packs, which Merle Dinning then delivers
and distributes to Naples School on Thursdays.
Families with children who qualify for free and
reduced breakfast and lunch programs are invited
to apply for the community-sponsored weekend
program.
Naples school was chosen for the first year
pilot program because 76% of the students there
qualify for the school food programs.
Second Harvest, a partner of Feeding America,
reports that “kids growing up in families where
food is in short supply are at increased risk
for behavioral problems, learning disabilities,
and other physical and cognitive impairments.
Research shows that children and teens lacking
enough food are at increased risk of illness,
failure in school, early pregnancy and
incarceration. They are also at greater risk of
being in poor health as adults.”
The financial needs have been met for this
year’s program of providing 30 backpacks per
week through the school year.
The group is working now to raise funds for the
next school year, hopefully expanding to other
schools. Although a community wide group of
volunteers, Trinity Lutheran Church serves as
the BoCo Back Pack fiscal sponsor.
If you are interested in contributing to the
children, donations may be made to BoCoBack
Packs c/o Trinity Lutheran Church, 6784 Cody
Street, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805.
BoCo meets for a short meeting the third
Thursday of each month at Trinity Lutheran at 6
p.m. Everyone is welcome.
For more information call Shirley Anderson (208)
267-3068, or Gini Woodward at (208) 267-5638, or
email
m.andg.woodward@frontier.com. |
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