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HUNGER. More than one in seven households struggled to put enough food on the table in 2008 (USDA Report) 11.1% US households classified as “food insecurity” – not having enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle. HUNGER.
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HUNGER • More than one in seven households struggled to put enough food on the table in 2008 (USDA Report) • 11.1% US households classified as “food insecurity” – not having enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle
HUNGER • 16.7 million children were classified as not having enough food in US (2008) • Hunger harms their physical, emotional, and educational development
Poverty and Hunger in Nevada (2008) (2008) 15% of Nevada’s children live below the poverty threshold 11.3% of Nevadans live below the poverty threshold (2005-7) (2006-8) 12.4% of Nevada’s population is food insecure 18.5% of Nevada’s children are food insecure
Closer to home • Douglas County • 7 elementary schools • 2 middle schools • 2 high schools Every school in Douglas Co. has children in need.
Is There An Answer? • Community helping community
Backpack Buddies Estimated 2,000 programs through out the US
What Is It? • Backpack buddies is a nation-wide program that is managed locally by volunteers and is funded solely by donations – corporate and individual.
What Is Its Purpose? • The program is designed to provide food for children who are most likely to experience hunger on the weekends.
How Does It Work? • Students with potential need are screened. • Parents of children in need are given the opportunity to receive the benefit of the program. • Backpacks are packed for the weekend with mainly non-perishable food items and discreetly distributed weekly.
Through food donations and monetary donations to purchase food. How Does It Operate?
What Goes in a Backpack? • ELEMENTARY: • 1 canned tuna, chicken, Vienna sausage • 2 100% fruit juice or boxed milk • 2 canned ravioli, spaghetti or pork n beans, etc. • 1 macaroni & cheese • 1 canned soup or Top Ramen • 2 fruit cups • 1 popcorn • 2 oatmeal or cold cereal in individual packages • 3 snacks (trail mix, crackers & cheese or peanut butter, granola bars, fruit snacks, pudding cups)
What Goes in a Backpack? • Middle School & High School: • 1 can tuna, chicken, Vienna sausage • 2 100% fruit juice • 1 can vegetable • 2 cans ravioli, spaghetti or pork n beans • 2 mac & cheese • 2 cans soup or Top Ramen • 2 fruit cups • 1 popcorn • 2 oatmeal or cold cereal (individual packs) • 1 hot cocoa packet • 6 snacks (trail mix, crackers & cheese/peanut butter, granola bar, pudding cup, fruit roll ups/fruit snacks, nut snacks
What Backpack Buddies Is Not? • Not a solution to all the nutritious needs of the children in the program. • Not a program that can be managed by one person alone • Not to be taken lightly…
What Does It Require? • Adequate funding or provisions of food • $5.00 feeds one child per weekend • $20.00 feeds one child per month of weekends • $200.00 feeds one child per school year of weekends
Requirements? • Commitment • Teamwork • Confidentiality • Consistency • Collaboration
Requirements? • Key players in position • Facilitator • Recognition that everything must go through your principal / assistant • Letting go of egos
Requirements? • Discovering what works for your school • Discarding what doesn’t work • Coordination with Backpack Buddies Consortium for quality control
What Role Does Our Consortium Play? • Research • Building community awareness • Collaboration with other non-profit community organizations • Solicitation for food, money, and volunteers • Communications (news articles, presentations, Chamber of Commerce) • Shopping • Storage
What Schools are Served or Assisted by the Consortium? • CC Meneley Elementary • Gardnerville Elementary • Scarselli Elementary • Jacks Valley Elementary (as needed) • Carson Valley Middle School • Pau Wa Lu Middle School • Douglas High School
What Are the Consortium’s Resources? • Northern Nevada Food Bank • Community bank food drives • Community business food drives • Organization donations • Individual donations • Community dentists • Business donations
How Can the PTO Help? • Expand awareness of need • Possible food drive • Possible fund raiser • Possible “Sponsor A Child” Program • Private pledged donations – yearly, monthly • Networking
What Are The Results? • Test score increases • 23% in math • 30% in reading • Behavioral issues decrease • 40% • Absences and tardies decrease • 40%
I Am Only One • I am only one, but still, I am one. I cannot do everything, But I can do something, And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the Something that I can do.
Questions? • Lin Larson – linglarson@yahoo.com (775)-267-6737 • Nancy Stiles – nanstiles@netzero.net (775) – 783-0562 • Monetary contributions are to be made payable to: Partnership of Community resources (PCR), a non profit coalition (tax ID # 94-3188705) with Backpack Buddies in the memo section and sent to: Lin Larson, 1295 Bridle Way, Minden, NV 89423 “Helping Feed Children in Need”