Fight Childhood Hunger

with a DONATION towards
the BackPack Program!

The BackPack program partnered with 256 schools to provide nutritious food for at-risk elementary school age children to take home on the weekends. Each week during the school year, 8,464 children in 112 school districts received packs of food. A donation of $164 sponsors a child in need for an entire school year.

"Children should be carefree and not have to worry where their next meal will come from." - Karla Franzluebbers

Jim, Karla, Sophia Franzluebbers, and Norah Hornig volunteering at Food Bank for the Heartland helping
to pack 1,024 BackPacks on Tuesday, April 12, 2021.

 For 14 years, Food Bank for the Heartland has partnered with dedicated educators in schools across Nebraska and western Iowa to provide the BackPack program for at-risk elementary school age children. The BackPack program launched in 2006 with just 3 schools participating, and during the 2019-2020 school year 259 schools participated with 1,186,408 meals distributed. The program is designed to provide weekend meals for children who are food insecure and who have limited or no parental supervision during this time.

The number of BackPacks a school receives is based upon its free and reduced-price meal numbers. About 42% percent of children in Nebraska and Iowa receive free or reduced-price school lunches; in some schools, these percentages soar into the 80s and 90s for qualifying children.

Sophia Franzluebbers and Norah Hornig
showcasing what is included in each BackPack.

Each BackPack contains: 2 cartons of shelf stable milk, 2 bowls of cereal, 2 entrees, 1 fruit juice, and 1 fruit pouch.

©2021 Food Bank for the Heartland is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. EIN: 47-0637701. These funds represent a gift to the Food Bank for the Heartland with no return benefit being derived by the donor.