Share Backpack Program
Share is dedicated to feeding hungry children … more than 57,000 food packs are provided each year through the Backpack program.
“I just want to thank you for the program. Our family has struggled so hard over the last few years and this simple act of generosity has been a tremendous help.” – Parent of a Backpack Program Participant
They are alarming statistics: 42% of children enrolled in Clark County public schools qualify for free or reduced-fee lunches – that’s more than 31,780 children. Share’s backpack program fulfills a vital role in feeding hungry children in our community, so that they can grow up healthy and succeed in life.
2012 Report: Impact of Share’s Backpack Program
Backpack Program
Bags are filled with 5-10 pounds of donated, non-perishable, easy-to-prepare food. Just $6 will fill a bag for one child. 1,515 packs are distributed to each of the 72 schools participating in the program; this includes elementary, middle and high schools, as well as Head Start programs. Packs include seven items: a protein, a grain, a canned meal, a boxed meal, a vegetable, a fruit and a snack.
Backpack Program: List of Food Items Needed
Note: Space in bags is limited so smaller items are preferred and allow us to pack more into each bag. As these are also being distributed to young children, we do not include any glass in the bags, so plastic jars and containers are preferred.
The packs are discretely given out on Friday after school to ensure that children, and their families, have nutritious food to eat over the weekend. The Backpack Program operates under anonymity; we do this to protect the privacy of the children and their families as hunger and poverty are often highly stigmatized in our society.
Added to those 1,500+ backpacks are seven sets of High School Pantry Boxes that help support 20+ kids per school. The high school boxes weigh about 22 lbs. each, for a total of 286 lbss of food to high schools each week.
The Backpack Program operates in large part due to the generosity of volunteers. It takes about 50 volunteers donating 115+ hours of time to stock the shelves, bag the food and deliver the backpacks each week.
Thinking of having a food drive for Share? We can make it easy with our list of top ten food needs. Please contact Susan Oberst at volunteers@sharevancouver.org or (360) 952-8228.
For more information on our Children’s Hunger Initiative, contact Becky Parker, Hunger Response Assistant Director, at (360) 952-8221 or hungerresponse@sharevancouver.org.
Learn about simple ways you can help make a real difference in people’s lives.
