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During an eight-month span, the Bath BackPack Program exceeded its $5,000 startup goal four-fold, bringing in more than $20,000 thanks to the generosity of individual donors, area businesses, organizations and churches.

Due to such strong support, the BBPP has upped its goal for its 2015-16 appeal to $20,000, which will support the start-up of the program at the Fisher-Mitchell School and sustain the program for a second year at the Dike- Newell School. Hannaford Supermarket has already pledged a $2,500 matchinggrant for the next 2015-16 school year.

At the Fisher-Mitchell School more than 71 percent of the children receive free or reduced priced meals through the National School Lunch Program. At least 75 of these children experience food insecurity and arrive at school on Monday morning competing against their hunger and often have difficulty paying attention to teaching and learning.

According to a press release, a first grade boy at the Dike-Newell School who finds a bag of food every Friday in his backpack said, “I like the BackPack food. It helps because when my mom doesn’t have enough food, I still have my BackPack stuff to eat.”

The first year of the Back- Pack Program served 45 children at the Dike-Newell School and three children at the Georgetown Elementary School. recently, “Look, the BackPack Program is making a real difference for a lot of kids who were too often coming to school hungry,” said Dike-Newell School Principal Sally Brown. “One of our first graders told me that he gets cranky when he is hungry. When a child is cranky they can’t sit still, they more often than not misbehave, they can’t learn. Hunger adds yet another challenge for teachers who want all children to succeed.”

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The BBPP was able to feed 45 needy children on weekends and school vacations, far exceeding the initial goal of 25.

With continued community support, the BBPP in partnership with the Good Shepherd Food Bank will continue to provide nutritious, kidfriendly food items planned by nutritionists for the most vulnerable, food insecure children at the Dike-Newell School and expand to the Fisher-Mitchell School in September.

BBPP fund-raising events will include a letter-writing campaign, a July 4-5 Heritage Days BackPack Information Booth at Library Park, and a community-wide summer barbecue. Persons and organizations interested in becoming involved in these activities should contact the Dike-Newell School at 443- 8285, the Fisher-Mitchell School at 443-8265, the Bath- United Methodist Church at 443-4707, or email [email protected].

Other opportunities to support the BBPP and help eliminate hunger among our school children include volunteering for monthly backpacking, monthly delivery of BackPacks to the Fisher- Mitchell School, grant-writing, planning and sponsoring fund-raisers, and serving on committees.

For every $225 raised through donations, will continue to provide weekend and vacation meals for one child for an entire school year.



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