As one of the poorest counties in our Commonwealth, and due to the rising cost of food, many families throughout Greene County are experiencing food insecurity and hunger issues.  The Weekend Backpack Food Program distributes food every weekend to needy school-aged children at each of the five School Districts in Greene County and the Career and Technology Center.  

Since approximately 70-75% of Greene County school-aged children qualify for free or reduced meals (breakfast and lunch) while at school, this allows them to have full stomachs Monday-Friday.  But the next question that we must ask is, “what happens over the weekend?”  What do school-aged children eat if there is little to nothing at home on Saturday and Sunday?  Lack of food over the weekend causes learning problems come Monday morning since there are many households in Greene County who qualify for free or reduced meals while at school.  

Studies have shown that food insecurity impacts scholastic and behavioral performance of children.  Specifically, food insecurity hinders the child’s ability to function normally and participate fully in school and other activities due to health problems, higher truancy and increased behavior problems including fighting, hyperactivity, aggression, anxiety and mood swings.  According to the PA Department of Education, 100% of Greene County schools meet the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) guidelines.  Therefore, due to the high poverty level in Greene County, all K-12 students are eligible for free meals.

Andrea Henneman, Food Service Director for Jefferson-Morgan School District said, “I trust and believe in our Weekend Backpack Food Program at Jefferson-Morgan School District.  With generous donations from our community and internal members of our District, our program makes a sizable difference in the lives of our J-M students.  Our Weekend Backpack Food Program helps with food security and reduces student’s weekend hunger.  At Jefferson-Morgan School District, we provide eligible students with a weekly bag on Friday of non-perishable food to take home and enjoy over the weekend in hopes of helping parents stretch their limited food budget.  Each bag consists of 2 breakfast, 2 lunch and 2 dinner items along with snacks and drinks for the weekend.”

Our five school districts report that approximately 250 unduplicated students participate in the Weekend Backpack Food Program weekly.  At an average cost of $6.50 per pack for 30 weeks, the total cost to operate this program is over $48,000.  Hunger, food insecurity, whatever you call it, is a terrible part of life for anyone to have to live through, but it is even more difficult for impoverished school-aged children who are already needy and vulnerable.  We are working to protect the dignity of youth who are in need, while trying to end the cycle of generational poverty.  

If you are interested in learning more about the Weekend Backpack Food Program or to make a donation to it, contact the CFGC Office at 724-627-2010.