Feeding Hungry Children – One Backpack at a Time
For many families, we know the fall season brings school homework, sports, and additional activities but we often don’t realize that for some children the concern of having food can get in the way. The reality is that many children are likely to have no food in their homes over the weekend. Our charity partner, Backpack Buddies of Greater Bluffton, is dedicated to positively influencing the health, stability and well-being of the children.
In 2010, Sue & Ken Kroupa founded Backpack Buddies after the encouragement from the Low Country Food Bank and with assistance from three local churches. Since then, this grass roots effort has grown to serve over 1100 children monthly. “To know that I am helping these children to have a better life is what is most rewarding to me,” said Kroupa. “You can’t start too early to make a difference in these important years.”
Backpack Buddies has four programs to support children in need year around. First, their “bags of food” program on Friday’s provide the elementary school children with food & snacks to last the weekend. Currently, 225 children are being assisted with this effort at 3 different schools. The second program provides monthly “boxes of food” which help to supplement the whole family’s nutritional needs. Each box contains about $45 worth of shelf-stable food & is a better solution for older children & their families. A monthly produce basket is their third program component to ensure that families have fresh fruits and vegetables. Lastly, over the summer months, the organization has orchestrated a unique voucher program with the Bluffton Farmer’s market to provide fresh produce when the children are out of school. The families also receive a grocery bag of shelf-stable pantry food and vouchers for meat & dairy items.
What does it take to make all of this happen? A lot of time & effort from over 150 passionate volunteers and organizations such as the Wexford Foundation that raise money on their behalf. It takes a tremendous amount of coordination between 3rd parties like Food Lion, Sysco, The Bluffton Farmers Market, Churches, School Staff & volunteers to execute their programs.
The Wexford Foundation is proud to be associated with this amazing organization that works behind the scenes to help meet a child’s most basic need – food.
