Project HOPE receives $6K grant to help School Backpack Program
Project HOPE Food Bank received a $6,000 grant Tuesday from the Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund to help with the School Backpack Program.
The grant will help supply food to area schools to be distributed to children through the backpack program when school meals are unavailable, a news release said.
The Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund supports local communities where the company has a significant presence. These communities range from rural to metropolitan, each with unique priorities and needs. Weyerhaeuser employees serve on local advisory committees for the Giving Fund and reward nonprofit applicants within their communities.
“Partnerships with local business that have community-minded volunteers helps provide our manpower,” Ted Thompson, executive director for the food bank, said in the release. “Getting a grant to help fund our program doubles the impact Weyerhaeuser has made at Project HOPE Food Bank.”
Richard Stitch, environmental affairs manager for Weyerhaeuser, said the grant committee is focused on making an important impact throughout its community.
“The Project HOPE Food Bank is a wonderful example of a community organization that helps to create a better Hot Springs,” Stitch said.
The School Backpack Program was established at the request of teachers and counselors. The food is provided to the schools in an effort to promote health and well-being for children. The program has distributed around 300,000 pounds of food in the last three years to 11 area school districts. Helping children to succeed through alleviating hunger is the main focus of the School Backpack Program.