Foodlink

What is the BackPack Program?
Many children in our community get their breakfast and lunch at school at a reduced price or for free. But when school is closed during weekends and holidays, many of those children go hungry.

The BackPack Program(TM) from Foodlink provides children in need with bags of nutritious food they can take home and easily prepare on their own.

Why is the BackPack Program important?
Good nutrition is critical to good health and success at school. Children who don’t get enough to eat often have:

Trouble concentrating
Lower math and English scores
Difficulty interacting with peers
Trouble finishing tests in time
Lower graduation rates

What types of items are in the packs?
Items in the packs are:

Kid Friendly
Individually packaged, or small and light enough to carry
Shelf Stable
Easy to prepare—even without a stove, or in some cases a can opener
Nutritious

What does each pack include?
Each BackPack bag weighs about 5-6 pounds. There are 2 items in each pack from each of the following food groups:

Fruits and Vegetables
Dairy
Grain
Protein

For food to be included in BackPack it is required to meet the standards set forth by the BackPack program coordinator. This means, when possible, the items are low in sodium and saturated fat and high in fiber and protein.

2011-2012 Participating BackPack Schools:
Monroe County
School #15
School #16
School #22
Irondequoit School District

Genesee County
Batavia School District
LeRoy School District
Pavilion School District

Ontario County
Naples School District
Geneva School District
Marcus Whitman School District

Yates County
Penn Yan School District
Dundee School District

Seneca County
Seneca Falls School District
Waterloo School District
South Seneca School District

Wayne County
Sodus School District
Palmyra-Macedon School District
Newark School District
North Rose-Wolcott School District

How you can help

Donate to the program
Your generosity fills backpacks. You can make sure kids get the nutrition they need by donating cash or hosting a food drive.

100% of your monetary donations go directly to buying, packing, and distributing food to hungry kids. Just $120 feeds one child for an entire school year.

Contact John Baldanza at jbaldanza@foodlinkny.org or (585) 328-3380 x149 about holding a food drive or making donations directly to the BackPack program.

Become a BackPack site
You can help hungry children in your school.

Becoming a site coordinator requires a lot of responsibility, but also great rewards! Some things to consider are how you will receive and store BackPacks, how they can be distributed discretely, and also who can be in charge of the program.

Contact Larkin Kimmerer at lkimmerer@foodlinkny.org or (585) 328-3380 x154 for more information about becoming a BackPack site.

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