In mid-Michigan, 21,660* boys and girls are food insecure, and 40% of all K-8 students in mid-Michigan schools rely on free and reduced-price meals. Greater Lansing Food Bank’s We Serve Kids Program™ works to ensure children grades K-8 have access to nutritious food on weekends and extended breaks when school meals are not available. The program actively partners with school districts and member agencies to provide crucial food through backpack distributions, school pantries or mobile food distributions. For many of these children, this backpack is their only source of food when school is not in session.
Growing to Serve All Kids
The need for these programs and services varies drastically from county to county and school district to school district throughout our service area. That’s why GLFB is committing to a large scope expansion of the We Serve Kids Program™ that will take a tremendous amount of time and investment, GLFB seeks to begin developing partnerships with school districts throughout our service area, and especially those in our rural counties, to develop the best service We Serve Kids Program™ can provide to each community.
What’s in a Backpack?
A key service of the We Serve Kids Program™ is providing food through “backpack” distributions. Backpacks are emergency food kits filled with shelf-stable, kid-friendly food that will supplement a child’s needs for up to two weekends by providing about eight meals plus snacks. A typical backpack includes easy-to-prepare items such as: macaroni & cheese, apple sauce packs, peanut butter, canned vegetables, pasta with protein, granola bars, fruit snacks, canned soup and more.
Donate Now to We Serve Kids Program™
For more information on sponsorship or donation opportunities, contact Kelly Miller, Development & Major Gifts Manager, at kelly@glfoodbank.org or (517) 853-7819.