BackSacks

Tom Ferguson with a Junior Senior BackSack and an elementary Backsack

Tom Ferguson, President, Hancock County Food Pantry visited the Kiwanis to give more information to the members about the BackSack weekend food program.  Gleaners Food Bank developed the BackSack to provide children in grades K-6 take home a BackSack filled with enough kid-friendly, shelf-stable food to get them through the weekend. Gleaners expanded the program to Hancock County, partnering with the Hancock County Food Pantry. 

 In the 2013-2014 school year, elementary schools in the Greenfield Central, Mount Vernon, and Eastern Hancock School Systems were served a total of 204 BackSacks per week. This program is funded by Gleaners Food Bank and the Food Pantry functions as a Community Partner to distribute the BackSacks to each school system.  The Food Pantry estimates that there are about 270 elementary students who are food insecure in the county and hopes to reach all of them. 

The Food Pantry has tested Junior-Senior High BackSack program at Eastern Hancock Schools and would like to expand it county wide.  It is estimated that this will cost $75,000 per year.  The Food Pantry is looking for partners In the community to help underwrite the costs of this program.  For more information on partnering with the Pantry see http://hancockcountyfoodpantry.com or call them at 317.468.0273.