As 2023 comes to an end, so does year #10 of Roundup Backpack Program providing weekend supplemental foods for Roundup’s food insecure children, and we couldn’t have done it without community support.
The goal has always been to protect the integrity of children while providing them food to help sustain them throughout the weekend. HOW? 1) The program has always been self-sustaining—no government handouts, etc. The board remains committed to raising the monies locally and returning as much as possible to the local economy. 2) Board members do not know the names of the recipients; all have been identified by teachers as deserving. 3) We follow nutrition guidelines to determine age appropriate portions.
OUR FEAR? One day we might have to tell a food insecure child we don’t have enough to provide for him or her. When Backpack first began, we serviced upwards of 30 children per week; today we feed over 50 including head start, elementary, jr and sr high students. Anyone who’s been to the grocery store lately knows this is an expensive undertaking, but one the board takes very seriously. There is “no fluff” built into the budget. The children must be nourished.
Thanks to donations, memorials, Christmas stroll, and a few grants, Roundup Backpack is humbled by the backing our community has shown over the decade, and we pledge to continue using your monies in a conscientious manner.
You may never see the children’s faces, but you will know, thanks to your help, they are being fed.
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