Annual Montana Food Bank Network event seeks to raise awareness, funds for weekend meal program for children in need
BackPack Jersey Day is an annual statewide fundraising event for Montana Food Bank Network’s BackPack Program; a vital food access program that distributes easy-to-prepare, shelf-stable meals to children to take home on the weekends when school meals are not available.
In 2019, 15.9% of children in Montana were living in food insecure households, meaning 36,560 children in Montana did not always know where their next meal would come from. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 Pandemic is exacerbating childhood food insecurity across Montana, and reliable access to meals has never been more urgent.
In an effort to fight childhood hunger and food insecurity in Montana, Montana Food Bank Network launched the BackPack Program in 2007. Since then, the program has grown to include 131 participating school locations across the state, reaching nearly 5000 students in need. Participating schools work with Montana Food Bank Network and local non-profit partners to discreetly distribute BackPack meals to children, who have been referred by school faculty and staff, every week during the school year.
This year, BackPack Jersey Day will take place on Friday, February 5th. Individuals and communities across Montana will have the opportunity to donate directly to their local BackPack program while raising awareness of the program by wearing a favorite team jersey. Anyone can get involved!
A $5 donation will provide one BackPack bag for a student, and $160 will provide a student with BackPack bags for the entire school year. Any amount supports your local BackPack program. To find out more and to donate, go to: https://mfbn.org/backpackjerseyday.
“The backpack program has allowed us to keep our families fed during this very difficult time. We would not be able to do so without the support of MFBN.” – school coordinator
For additional information about the BackPack Program or Jersey Day, visit https://mfbn.org. •