The Backpack Buddies program in Grundy County is merging with Bright Futures Trenton. The program’s new name is Food Pals.
Ginny Wikoff is a volunteer at the Community Food Pantry of Grundy County and is the Backpack Buddies coordinator. She says Food Pals will basically be the same as Backpack Buddies.
Chris Hoffman is a member of the Bright Futures Trenton Board and Food Pantry Board. He says Backpack Buddies only served students in kindergarten through sixth grade.
For the last few years, Bright Futures Trenton has provided a program for preschoolers. There has also been food available to middle and high school students.
Wikoff says food for Food Pals will no longer come from the Second Harvest Community Food Bank of Saint Joseph.
Hoffman reports the change in where food is received for the school food program will not affect food pantry commodities being provided by Second Harvest.
Wikoff notes the number of students that can be served will be controlled by Bright Futures Trenton. There will not be a cap on the number like there was with Second Harvest. The number of students helped will be as much as the group can afford.
Bright Futures Trenton Board Member Kayla Graham says the goal for Food Pals is to raise about $30,000 for the year. She says that is an increase from what the goal was for Backpack Buddies because Food Pals will also include preschool, Head Start, and seventh through 12th-grade students.
Wikoff reports Backpack Buddies reached its goal for this year of $20,000, and any extra funding will be carried over to the new project.
The items for Food Pals will not be stored at the food pantry in Trenton like they were for Backpack Buddies.
Hoffman says the Grundy County Health Department acquired the former Moore’s Farm Supply Building a few years ago and remodeled it. The health department has allowed Bright Futures Trenton to store some items at the building for its back-to-school event and will now allow the building to be a staging area for the food project.
Graham says the group hopes to have fresh items for participants.
Wikoff says a goal is to have balanced nutrition that is palatable to children.
Distribution will be moved from weekly to monthly. Wikoff explains the process with Food Pals will be similar to what it was with Backpack Buddies.
Schools will identify children who receive free and reduced-price lunches and will decide who receives the food.
Wikoff reports food will go to the schools already participating. That includes Spickard, Rissler Elementary School, Trenton Middle School, Pleasant View, and Laredo. She notes Grundy County R-5 participated for the first half of the current school year.
Parents’ permission will still be necessary and forms will be sent home, and parents have to agree to receive the food. Filling out a free and reduced-price lunch form is the first step to see if a household qualifies.
Wikoff says 100% of donations for Food Pals will go toward the program like it was with Backpack Buddies.
Donations can be sent to Bright Futures Trenton at Post Office Box 593 in Trenton, Missouri 64683. Graham notes donations can also be made through the Bright Futures Trenton Facebook page, or any Bright Futures Trenton Board member can accept the donations. Anyone donating by check is asked to indicate the money is for Food Pals or the food program.
Hoffman adds that Bright Futures is a 501(c)(3), so donations are tax-deductible.
