Deanna knows firsthand how important reliable food access is for students. As the Community School Coordinator at King Elementary School, Deer River, MN, she builds partnerships that eliminate hunger in one of the many Northland communities we support.

“The School Food Pantry Program has helped us figure out how to feed our families,” Deanna shares. “Teachers are able to teach more efficiently when someone else is working on providing the basic need of food to students.”

Your support of our School Food Pantry Program and BackPack Programs ensures food for children when school meals are unavailable. As Deanna shares, our programs make it easier to connect with neighbors, “Food is what helps us get our foot in the door with community members.”  

Paul and his eight grandchildren are a testament to the positive impact our pantries have. What began as a once-a-week food delivery to his house has cultivated a personal relationship between the School Food Pantry Program staff, Paul, and his grandchildren.

“Because of our relationship with him, he’s started coming into our building and going to his grandkids’ conferences,” Deanna shares. “Food has helped us build relationships with our families and has led to more activities with their children.”

Each year, your generous support of our School Pantry and BackPack Programs ensures nearly 300,000 meals for children in NE Minnesota and NW Wisconsin when school’s not in session.

We couldn’t provide meals to neighbors like Paul and his grandchildren without partners like you. Here’s a sampling of others who generously support our hunger-relief work:  Thank You! 

  • Cub Foods
  • Feeding America and its partners
  • Ordean Foundation
  • Joan M. Wismer Foundation
  • Lahti Family Charitable Foundation

Holly Ensures Weekend Meals for Students 

Meals go hand in hand with pencils and notebooks as families prepare for the school year. School lunches alleviate the stress parents may have when it comes to mealtimes at school. However, as the weekend rolls around, this resource disappears. Our BackPack Program in NE Minnesota and NW Wisconsin ensures nutritious food to children in need on the weekend.

Holly, Administrative Secretary for Special Education and Student Services in Ashland, partners with us to provide the BackPack Program to students in her school district. “We’re very grateful to have this program and offer it to our families,” shares Holly. “Knowing children have access to healthy food and meals is very important.”

Your support of our BackPack Program allows us to source easy-to-open, easy-to-prepare food that our volunteers then pack and we’re able to mobilize to area schools. Each year, you ensure more than 106,000 weekend meals to children in the Northland who might otherwise go without. Please join Holly and others to make this a hunger-free school year so all children have the food they need to thrive.