Food Bank kicks o backpack program funding campaign

Imperial Valley Food Bank is seeking donors to ensure that local students in food-insecure homes have enough to eat when they’re not in school.

One in three children struggle in school because of a shortage of food at home, the Food Bank said. Even though schools provide meals to those students for free or at a discounted rate, many face empty pantries during the weekend.

“When students do not have access to nutritional food at home, they are not ready to learn come Monday morning,” said Sara Griffen, executive director of the Imperial Valley Food Bank. “It is those students who need our help most.”

The Food Bank’s Weekend Backpack Program discretely provides these kids with a backpack full of foods such as cereal, milk, peanut butter, fruits and vegetables to take home and stay fed on weekends.

The I.V. Food Bank currently serves 700 students throughout the school year. The students are hand-picked by their schools and will receive a backpack and donations to help their family each weekend.

Unfortunately, the Food Bank said, that’s a drop in the bucket in a county that suffers from a third of students in food-insecure homes. The I.V. Food Bank wants to increase its reach, but can only do so through the generosity of others in a program funded 100 percent through donations.

Cost to feed a student for one school year through the backpack program is $180. Anyone wishing to sponsor a student may do so by paying in one lump sum or by donating each month. IVFB also accepts electronic donations through its PayPal account that may be accessed through its donation website at http://www.ivfoodbank.com/ support/how-to-give/

For more information on how to donate, please contact the Imperial Valley Food Bank at (760) 370-0966, or stop by during office hours at 329 Applestill Road, El Centro.