Backpack Blessings
Dear Editor: Blessings in a Backpack is a national non-profit organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger.
According to the USDA, nine million American children experience food insecurity. Thanks to free and reduced school breakfast and lunch programs, many of these children can count on reliable access to food when they are in school, but they may struggle when they are at home on the weekends.
This is where Blessings in a Backpack comes in. Every week, each child enrolled in the program receives a free bag of food to take home, helping to ensure that they stay fed and healthy both in school and out. There is no income requirement or application process, and any child in need is welcome to participate.
In Sitka, the program is entirely volunteer-run and funded through grants and generous donations from individuals and businesses. Blessings in a Backpack currently provides food bags to 65 children every week, and we couldn’t do it without the generous support of our community.
I would like to take this time during the holiday season to express my gratitude to all of those who have supported the program this year:
Thank you to the University of Alaska Southeast Sitka Campus for graciously providing us a home on campus. Thank you to all the folks at the Sitka School District, and especially the school counselors and front office staff, who take such good care of our students. Thank you to the Hames Corporation, and especially to Roger Hames, for your enthusiastic support and generosity. Thanks to Harry Race Pharmacy, Sitka White Elephant Shop, and the Sitka Rotary Club for providing financial support. And finally, thank you to each and every person who has donated money, volunteered time, provided supplies, and generally helped to make Blessings in a Backpack a success. There are too many of you to name, but please know that each contribution is seen and appreciated.
It is such a joy to see Sitka come together to support and protect its most vulnerable, and I’m endlessly grateful to be a part of such a generous and caring community.
With love and gratitude,
Margot O’Connell,
Blessings in a Backpack
Program Coordinator
