Oregon-Davis Elementary School is working with the Food Bank of Northern Indiana to make sure students are getting the proper nutrition, even when they aren’t in school. Starting this month, O-D is taking part in the food bank’s Food 4 Kids Backpack Program.
It provides students with snacks, drinks, and canned food to take home on weekends or school breaks. Food distribution takes place discretely, with items being placed in each child’s locker on the last day of the week.
School officials say Oregon-Davis will get enough food for 60 students to take part in the program. All students in kindergarten through sixth grade are invited to apply. The school will then determine which students are most in need.
The Food Bank of Northern Indiana offers the Food 4 Kids Backpack Program at schools that have a particularly high rate of children eligible for free or reduced lunch.
For those interested in helping with the effort, the food bank says a $140 donation can provide food for one child during the course of the school year. Nearly 2,000 students around Northern Indiana took part in the program last school year.
