In February of 2019 the Longbranch Foundation awarded the Food Backpacks 4 Kids (FB4K) program $1,000 toward the acquisition of juice cartons for kids.
In response, FB4K sent the Longbranch Foundation a thank you letter. On Thursday, May 19th, 2019, they sent us another update:
“Food Backpacks 4 Kids is so appreciative of the recent grant from the Longbranch Foundation. The funds were expended for 100% juice for the students on the Key Peninsula who participate in the backpack program. Juice was included in the backpacks each week. Juice was a listed favorite item last year when we administered our annual survey, thus the request for funding for this item. Interestingly, we are in the process of collecting assessments for this year’s survey and the response is the same: Juice is still at the top of the list of most helpful food items! We couldn’t have done it without your support.
A brief update:
Food Backpacks 4 Kids has been addressing student food insecurity for more than ten years, distributing an average of 400 food backpacks each week during the school year, in the Peninsula School District. Our primary focus is to address student hunger. A current concern is that out of the more than 1500 students eligible for free/reduced lunches, only 400 of them are accessing this nutritional food resource. Now, addressing food insecurity creatively, FB4K is offering an opportunity to provide food pantries at the district’s three high schools and four middle schools.
FB4K provides metal cabinets that can be stocked with easy to prepare, nutritional meals and healthy “grab-n-go” snacks, available to those students who have difficulty accessing enough food to avoid hunger. The primary goal of the project is simple – to give out food directly to those in need. Because of the flexibility in operating styles and limited need for physical infrastructure, school campus food pantries are easy to establish. On-campus pantries are easier for students to utilize, since they do not require students to travel off campus to receive food benefits and the location and easy access to the food pantry allows for anonymity. In addition, because the food pantry is a campus-run program students seem more likely to utilize its services because they see it as a student resource rather than a community program.
As a result of the introduction of the food pantries, more than 200 unduplicated students are accessing this resource. This outreach effort has resulted in an increase of the number of students we are serving: 400 backpacks each week and 200+ monthly. The Longbranch Foundation is part of this success – we could not do it without your support.”
Karen Jorgenson
Executive Director
Food Backpacks 4 Kids
“Serving children for a brighter future”
Thank you for the update Karen. It was our pleasure to assist the cause, especially when it is for the benefit of the children!