In 2018, the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank announced a new initiative to help feed students in the Williamsport Area School District (WASD), combining two of the Food Bank’s existing programs, Fresh Express and BackPack, into the Hybrid BackPack Program. Grant funding for the project was made possible through the Williamsport Lycoming Community Fund and the Charles A. Szybist and Carla G. Szybist Fund at the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania.
According the the Pennsylvania Department of Education, more than 70 percent of students at the WASD are eligible for free or reduced meals, which is above the state average of 49.5 percent. The Hybrid BackPack Program is designed to feed the whole family, since chances are that if a child is hungry, their family is struggling as well. To date, this program has served more than 800 students per month at the school district and distributed nearly 50,000 pounds of produce, milk and other nutritious items to families in the district. Students and their families also receive recipe cards and nutrition education fliers, allowing families to prepare meals and eat together.
While the program began at the primary and intermediate school levels, the Food Bank, in collaboration with WASD, has planned for 1,500 meal kits and Fresh Express distributions at the high school during the 2018-2019 academic year. This will guarantee all 3,000 eligible students will have access to healthy and nutritious meals.
Community support for this project has been overwhelmingly positive. Employees from Kohl’s volunteer once a month to pack items for these distributions.
“Our associates are encouraged to give back to the community through our Associates in Action (AIA) program,” said Michelle Clemons, Administrative Assistant at Kohl’s Store 1155. “This program has allowed us to provide five associates each month for three hours.”
Kohl’s partnership with the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank is entering its eighth year. Team members from Kohl’s were initially packing items for traditional BackPack programs throughout the year. But once the need for volunteers increased due to weekly distributions for the Williamsport School District, Kohl’s stepped up to lend a helping hand.
Since helping with the new Hybrid BackPack Program, Kohl’s has donated more than 180 hours of their time. Plus, with each time they volunteer, Kohl’s donates $500 to the Food Bank.
According to Clemons, “We continue to dedicate our time each month because we are proud to help with the awareness of hunger in our community and to know that we will continue to provide the support that the Food Bank needs to ensure that the children in our community have healthy food to eat every day.”
This article originally appeared in our newsletter, Food For Thought.