While students across Minnesota are now eligible for free meals in school, the mounting cost of grocery bills can still put families in a pinch over the weekend.
Eight years in, the Blooming Prairie Backpack Program is helping those families put food on the table.
Every Thursday, students enrolled in the program can pick up packs of food for the weekend. According to coordinator Karen Peterson, the program feeds 78 Blooming Prairie students every week.
Peterson launched the program with another local mother in 2016.
By February 2017, the backpack program served 37 students. That number continued to rise, reaching 57 students in the 2022-23 school year and peaking the following year at 92. While the numbers have begun to subside, they’re still more than double the original count. Peterson said she was told the program wasn’t needed when she first proposed it, but the numbers have vindicated her.
According to a recent report from the United States Department of Agriculture, a family following a moderate cost food plan can expect to spend about $330 a month for a 9-11 year old child — over $40 more than they would’ve spent in 2021.
Peterson knows firsthand how challenging it is to feed a family on a tight budget.
“My family had utilized the Kasson Food Shelf when my oldest was a baby, and I always wanted to find a way to give back when my family was more financially stable. I knew that there were needs not being met with families in the Blooming Prairie school district,” she said.
The program has grown in other ways, expanding to include food pantries at the elementary and high school. In addition to helping hungry students grab a quick bite, it also alleviates expenses for teachers, who may buy snacks with their own money.
Peterson said First Lutheran Church in Blooming Prairie was instrumental in launching the program, and its members have donated food and money to keep it running since then. St. Columbanus Catholic Church also helps receive and pack food, which is then delivered to the elementary school.
Vandal’s Family Market has also been a key partner in the program. Each parent or guardian with a child in the program is issued a voucher to Vandal’s that pays for one loaf of bread, one gallon of milk and a dozen eggs. The market covers 20% of each voucher redeemed. Families in the program can also opt in to receive vouchers through the summer.
While the program has grown and attracted support since it began, Peterson noted plenty of opportunities for people to pitch in. Aside from donations of money and shelf stable food, the program is in need of volunteers to transport food from St. Columbanus to the school.
VOLUNTEER/DONATE
To learn more about volunteering or donating to the Blooming Prairie Backpack Program, visit bpbackpackprogram.org
Local News
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