1. Our Mission
Blessings in a Backpack (BIB) mobilizes communities, individuals and resources to provide food on the weekends for elementary school children across America who might otherwise go hungry. Incorporated in 2008 with a goal of providing weekend nutrition to children living with food insecurity, BIB has grown to a national organization that will serve more than 104,000 school children at 1,000 schools in 48 U.S. states and Washington D.C. in the school year.
The Need
Nearly 16 million American children face food insecurity.
In the XXXX region, more than ##,### children leave school on Friday, uncertain if they will have food to eat that weekend.
During the school week, these children are fed by their school’s free and reduced price meal program. But what do they eat on the weekends?
How Blessings in a Backpack Works
As little as $100 feeds an elementary school child in the program for an entire school year.
Volunteers lead the effort at local schools, raising funds to help cover their program expense and packing and distributing bags of weekend nutrition each week.
The national organization raises awareness of childhood hunger, forms relationships with food providers and other partners, and recruits and trains volunteers.
Every Friday, students receive a bag of child-appropriate weekend nutrition that require little to no preparation.
In the XXXX region, BIB is providing hunger-free weekends to more than ### children at ### schools.
Our Impact
During the school year, BIB provided more than 3.2 million hunger-free weekends to 88,000 children. This food impacts children in numerous ways. Consistent nutrition is necessary for children to participate at school. Better test scores, improved reading skills, increased positive behavior, improved health and increased attendance have all been attributed to consistent childhood nutrition, such as what BIAB helps provide.
Blessings in a Backpack has partnered with Quaker Oats and Ipsos to measure program impact on a deeper level than bags and pounds of food distributed. In addition to no longer feeling weekend hunger, children fed by BIB experienced the following impact on their lives:
78% feel cared for by their community.
60% report improved school attendance and fewer behavioral issues.
59% find it is easier to learn at school.
Partnerships
Blessings in a Backpack partners with a number of corporations, organizations and professional athletes to feed hungry children throughout the country, including:
People Magazine: People First Help Feed a Child 2012 Charity of the Year, highlighted in four articles in 2012.
The United States Conference of Mayors passed a resolution at its 83rd annual meeting declaring the third Thursday of September “Blessings in a Backpack Day,” on which mayors pack bags full of food for food insecure children.
Corporate Partners include Walmart, Cigna, Alex and Ani, Meijer, and Delta Dental of Kentucky.
Professional Athletes: BIAB partners with 70+ professional athletes, including: Donald Driver, Justin Rose, Jason Day, Jim Furyk, DeMarcus Ware, Jason Witten, Vince Wilfork, Nene, Josh Harrison and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
BIAB was recognized in national media outlets, including CNN, NBC, the Golf Channel, the Chicago Tribune, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Help Make More Hunger-Free Weekends a Reality
Join us in feeding the future of America by:
Donating today at BlessingsinaBackpack.org. As little as $100 provides hunger-free weekends to a child for an entire school year.
Volunteering with BIB. Visit BlessingsinaBackpack.org or contact to learn more about ways to volunteer.
Spreading the word. Tell others about childhood hunger and what Blessings in a Backpack is doing to fill the weekend gap for children living with food insecurity.
To learn more, please visit BlessingsinaBackpack.org or contact NAME, at PHONE or .
“This has made a big difference for families in need. This is a great example of what a community can do. Children don’t have to be hungry.” Volunteer Program Coordinator