Grant fills backpacks for hungry kids at local schools

by Kelli Cheatham (kcheatham@wsbt.com)

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grant provides food for school children

The Food Bank provides nutritious foods for needy students to eat over the weekend. (WSBT photo)

By WSBT News1

Story Created: Mar 6, 2008 at 7:30 AM EST

Story Updated: Mar 14, 2008 at 11:46 AM EST

SOUTH BEND — More than 12,000 kids in St. Joseph County are living in poverty, according to the Food Bank of Northern Indiana. A new program at the Food Bank, called Food 4 Kids, is filling backpacks for students who are at risk of hunger.

According to the Food Bank, studies have shown nutritionally deficient children do not learn as well in school and miss more school than those with a well-balanced diet.

Through the program, the Food Bank delivers nutritious food to 4 South Bend schools every Thursday. Each school fills 50 backpacks on Friday so students can take the food home.

"They're not guaranteed they're going to get a meal, especially on the weekends," explained Food Bank Executive Director Dennis Brown. "Many of them are getting subsidized lunches during the weekday, but when they go home on Friday, who knows what's going to happen?"

The $13,600 Food 4 Kids grant was made possible by the Food Bank's membership in America's Second Harvest -- The Nation's Food Bank Network.

The money is enough to serve 200 kids in local schools for a full school year. The Food Bank is looking for sponsorships from local organizations and businesses to help keep the project going in the future.

For more information or to see how you can help, call or stop by the Food Bank.

702 S. Chapin Street
South Bend, IN 46601-2804
(574) 232-9986

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