Jody is a family outreach worker at Academy School in Brattleboro, where she sees firsthand the benefits for kids when they have enough food to eat. Thanks to your help, she is able to provide food to students facing hunger to take home when school is out.
For many kids, a school day might also mean a day with a nourishing breakfast and lunch, needed for growing bodies and minds. This need doesn’t disappear when the school bell rings on Friday afternoon. Which is why the Vermont Foodbank, with help from school partners and help from you, runs the BackPack program, which sends food home with kids when school is not in session.
“Having the snack bags as a resource for students, some in particular, is such a comfort. Without the program, my guess is that we would be trying to put together bags of food on a Friday afternoon for children that we know are experiencing food insecurity,” shares Jody.
The BackPack program works through collaboration — guidance counselors, school nurses, and other school staff send information and permission slips home inviting families who might benefit to participate. The Vermont Foodbank packages and distributes bags of kid-friendly, nonperishable, nourishing foods to participating schools, which are then shared in ways that are inviting and comfortable for kids. Your support helps to get food into kids’ backpacks!
When Jody asks her students about the food they take home, they talk about some of their favorites: cereal, mac and cheese, grahams, and the fruit cup. One student says that the bags are heavy. Around 60 bags of food are distributed each week at Jody’s school which has around 360 students enrolled.
Throughout Vermont, an estimated 1,350 kids will receive approximately 42,000 bags of food, helping to ensure full bellies over the weekend and other school recesses.
One school staff member describes the impact the BackPack program has on the kids, “They seem to have a sense of calm knowing that they have food on the weekends.”
* Photo substituted to protect privacy.
Glenn is one of Vermont Foodbank’s all-star drivers, and for him, work is personal. Having faced hard times himself, Glenn brings empathy and care that resonate with every neighbor he meets. Watching him work, it’s clear—he doesn’t just deliver food. He delivers connection and hope, with a side of humor that lightens the mood and makes every interaction genuine.
As a retired pastry chef, Cindy spends a lot of time trying new recipes, creating edible masterpieces, and baking for just about anyone she encounters. Cindy also volunteers her talents to teach baking classes at Bugbee Senior Center in White River Junction, where she has found a community she values, and that values her in return.
When life took an unexpected turn for a mom in northern Vermont, she got in touch with the Foodbank to help provide her family with nourishing food. With the one-on-one assistance available to help connect her with the food resources that work best for her whole family, she can keep feeding her kids quality food while investing in her community.
