About Blessings in a Backpack:
Imagine you are sitting in your classroom on Monday morning struggling to make sense out of your teachers’ instructions. Try as you will, all you feel is your stomachs hunger pangs!
You try hard to concentrate, but you feel tired and lethargic. Still your stomach aches, and now your head hurts as you look at the clock and wonder when it will be time to eat!
Everyday in Citrus County children arrive to school with empty stomachs, trying to learn without the benefit of proper nourishment.
The Blessings in a Backpack program has stepped in to help support school children, who by no fault of their own, simply do not have enough to eat on the weekends. These children come from ‘food insecure’ families that are unable to satisfy weekend needs.
Blessings in a Backpack’s:
-Goal and singular purpose is to bridge the meal gap that occurs between the school week and the weekend by providing children with weekend nutritious food.
-67% of Citrus Co. public school children participate in the federally assisted Mon-Fri breakfast and lunch.
-Program is run by volunteers and 100% of funds raised are used to purchase food to put in kids backpacks.
-All donations stay in Citrus County!
-$80 will feed one child every weekend for the entire school year!!!
-Hernando Elem. was the pilot school in 2009. Homosassa Elem. was added 2010-2011. Floral City Elem. projected to begin program in March 2011 followed by Crystal River Primary in the fall of 2011.
Results:
Improvements in study habits with improved test scores and reading skills; improved health, behavior, attendance and productivity.
Unmet nutritional needs make it very difficult for children to learn, pay attention in class, and behave properly.
To learn how you can volunteer your time and resources contact us at:
Email: info@BlessingsInaBackpack5k.com, or call 352-341-7707
