Blessings In A Backpack: Working To End Hunger For Students

When Friday rolls around, most kids are excited for the end of the school week.

However, there are many students who wish the weekend would never come. According to the Blessings in a Backpack website, there are 13 million kids in America who won’t have enough food to eat this weekend.

The Elkhorn Valley School in Tilden is looking to change that with their local Blessings in a Backpack program, which allows volunteers to discreetly place bags of food into students’ backpacks for their use over the weekend.

After talking with EV school personnel and community members, organizer Chrisi Rutjens said she realized there were families in the school system that could use their help. Along with help from teacher Mrs. Sherry Lawson as well as some friends in the community, Rutjens started Elkhorn Valley School’s Blessings in a Backpack weekend food program in September 2017.

“We modeled our program after the successful Blessings in a Backpack program in Norfolk Public Schools, as well as other similar weekend food programs in area schools,” she said. “We operate under the national Blessings in a Backpack organization, a nonprofit entity.”

Rutjens said the hunger problem can be an even greater concern in rural communities.  

“Food insecurity is an issue in small towns, and the problem is magnified due to our rural location,” she said. “ We have no other readily-available resources such as a food pantry, Salvation Army or  Rescue Mission that larger communities may have; further, physically getting to these places may be an economic or logistical challenge for many of the children we serve.”

Rutjens said bags of food are discreetly put into students’ backpacks each Friday. Each bag typically contains two entrees, two breakfast items, shelf-stable milk and two healthy snacks. In addition, she said the volunteers are usually able to provide fresh fruit in the bags.  

“All items are kid-friendly,” Rutjens said. “For example, anything that comes in a can has a tab opener. The idea is that the children are able to prepare the food themselves if needed.”

She said participation in the program is voluntary and confidential—only school personnel know which students are enrolled—and families sign up at the beginning of the school year.  

“Last year, we were able to provide weekend food for 18 students (preschool – 6th grade) during the school year. This year, we are expanding and offering enrollment for all students through 12th grade,” Rutjens said. “We are currently getting students signed up for this school year.”

She said it costs approximately $150 per student for an entire school year’s food.  

“There have been so many in the Tilden-Meadow Grove community who’ve donated to make this program a success – several individuals, churches, organizations, and businesses,” Rutjens said. “In addition, I’ve applied for and received two grants to help fund the program. We will be receiving a Venture Grant from Norfolk Area United Way in 2019.”

She said although Tilden is a small town, big things are happening due to their outstanding volunteers.

“We are a small town, and we don’t have many of the amenities that larger cities are able to offer, but we do have a caring and compassionate group of citizens who have worked hard to come up with a way to help our students and families in need,” Rutjens said.

She is pleased to see everyone pulling together to make the program a reality.

“I've been dreaming of getting this project rolling for a few years now, so it has been very exciting to see it finally come together!”