Backpacks Are Packing More than Just Books
by Mindi Gale, Sodexo Senior Recruiter

Sodexo Manager June Dilorenzo displays items for the Backpack Food Program.

All school-age children need a good education and a full belly – seven days a week. The Sodexo Foundation and generous donations from Sodexo employees support Backpack Food Programs throughout the country.

The goal of the Backpack Food Program is to meet the needs of students who are at risk for hunger, providing them with nutritious and easy-to-prepare foods to take home on weekends and school vacations when other resources are minimal or not available.

This program is truly a grassroots effort, initiated by local Sodexo managers who get involved because they see a need in their local communities. Sodexo employees assist through picking up food from the local food bank partner, packing the backpacks and then delivering the backpacks to the schools. In addition, the Sodexo Foundation provides grants to local food banks to help offset the costs associated with the Sodexo-supported Backpack Food Program.

How the program works…

A Sodexo manager works closely with the local food bank to secure the food. The backpacks are filled with nutritious breakfast, lunch and dinner items that are easy to prepare or ready to eat, such as pasta, jarred sauce, beef stew, tuna, peanut butter, jelly, rice, beans, cereal, oatmeal, granola bars and juice. The local school system identifies the students in need and distributes the backpacks directly to the students. Community resource information might also be included in the backpacks. Backpacks are discreetly distributed to participating students on the last school day prior to the weekend or a holiday vacation, and are returned on the next school day, usually a Monday.

Providence, RI Sodexo Manager June Dilorenzo likes to put a special spin on their program. June puts together special backpacks for holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. She includes special holiday treats like candy corn for Halloween, turkey and the trimmings for Thanksgiving, and ham and pies at Christmas. The actual backpacks are purchased in different styles and colors in the spirit of keeping this program discreet and confidential.

Thanks to the generosity of Sodexo employees and the Sodexo Foundation, thousands of school children throughout the United States carry specially packed backpacks home and do not go hungry over the weekend or during holidays.