Blessings in a Backpack
Posted by John Ester
on Sep 01, 2015
Skip Comer, recently retired as pastor of St. Phillips Episcopal Church (as well as Frankfort Rotarian and Paul Harris fellow), told us about the Blessings in a Backpack program that he and others are initiating in Benzie County's five elementary schools.
The new Benzie County operation is affiliated with the national Blessings in a Backpack organization, a 501(c)(3) corporation based in Louisville. The program's mission is to provide elementary schoolchildren who are on the federal Free and Reduced Price Meal Program with a backpack of food to take home for the 30+ weekends during the school year. Backpack food includes easy-to-prepare, ready-to-eat foods like granola bars, juice boxes, oatmeal, and mac and cheese. Nationally the program provides food for students in more than 800 schools in 44 states.
The Benzie County program anticipates providing food this coming school year for up to 150 students at a cost of $100 per student. The students who are to receive food will be those deemed by their teachers and principals to be living in food-insecure homes.