During the school year many children rely on meals at school as their primary source of food and nutrition. The reality is some students go home on Friday afternoons to empty cupboards and empty bellies for 65 hours until they return to school on Monday morning.
As students' nutritional needs do not end when school dismisses on Friday, the Twin Rivers R-X School District is working to bridge the gap by sending qualifying children home with backpacks of food as a part of the Twin Rivers Backpacks for Friday program.
Twin Rivers School District Social Worker Amber Windhorst said the program has been in place for several years, but when the organization that originally funded the program was no longer able to continue support, the community stepped in.
"We started slow," Windhorst said. "This year we are much more well established."
To begin the program in-house, food drives were hosted at each of the Twin Rivers campuses, businesses and churches.
"The community has been really good about helping with funds," Windhorst said.
At this time, 25 backpacks are sent home throughout the Twin Rivers School District to assist families with food for the weekend.
According to Windhorst, it takes $300 per family to fund a backpack of food each weekend during the school year.
The backpack of food is meant to be a supplement for the weekend. Windhorst said the backpacks are sent home to families ranging from two to 10 people in a household.
The backpacks are packed with food weekly at Broseley, Fisk and Qulin by the counselors, social worker aides and Windhorst. Students are then given the backpacks each Friday afternoon in a discreet way to carry home and bring back Monday morning.
"The counselors are heavily involved with making the backpacks and finding families in need," Windhorst said.
Windhorst said the backpacks are filled with items such as spaghetti or a type of pasta, canned fruits and vegetables, breakfast items, Jell-O or pudding and snacks.
During long breaks from school, Windhorst said a little extra food is sent home.
"We try to have food the children can make on their own and pop top cans when possible," Windhorst said. If pop top cans are not available, can openers are sent with families if needed.
Periodically, Windhorst said, crockpots are collected and given to families to assist with meals.
"It's not that these families aren't trying," Windhorst said. "They are just struggling."
Families in the district that hit a snag and then are able to get back on their feet are good about letting Windhorst know they are no longer in need and don't take advantage of the program, she said.
Windhorst believes this program is important because kids go hungry.
"We have all been somewhere and think we are starving to death," Windhorst said. "Imagine Friday at lunch being your last meal until Monday at breakfast."
Throughout the program, stories have been passed along to Windhorst from children before and after receiving a backpack.
A child from a very large family told Windhorst the family drew straws for the last of the food on a Sunday evening. After finding this out, she was then able to get the family some assistance through the Backpacks for Friday program.
When following up with a young girl, she told Windhorst how excited she was to receive a backpack each week and loved all the food options she was given.
A favorite in particular of the girl's was when her mother saved ramen noodles over the course of several weeks and was able to prepare a large pot for the family.
If a group, organization or individual would like to help support the Backpacks for Friday program, accounts are set up at Southern Bank for all three Twin Rivers campuses. Windhorst or any of the school counselors can also be contacted at the schools for specific food needs or to assist with monetary donations.
"A little goes a long way," Windhorst said.
Food drives can also be held to assist with the food packing each week.
"The holiday season is now approaching and the cost of living is rising with heating bills, coats and presents," Windhorst said. "It gets harder this time of year for families when it shouldn't. Kids should be excited for the holidays."