Blessings in a Backpack

A donation here goes to our local chapter of Blessings in a Backpack, which provides weekend bags of food to hundreds of students in North Shore School District 112.

The Blessings in a Backpack program in Highland Park, Illinois started 12 years ago when we asked, "Are there kids in our community who could use extra food on the weekend?" The answer was a resounding "YES!" What started in 2 schools with 50 students, now serves over 350 students in 6 elementary schools across North Shore School District 112, plus stocks a student food pantry at both North Shore School District 112 middle schools and Highland Park High School.

Students eligible for free/reduced-priced lunches receive food at school Monday-Friday, but what happens on the weekend? Blessings in a Backpack fills that gap by providing bags of kid-friendly, shelf-stable, easy-to-prepare foods to students each week. We want to make sure kids don't go hungry on the weekends and return to school on Monday ready to learn.

Did you know:

This is the 12th year of Blessings in a Backpack Highland Park!

More than 1 in 5 students in NSSD112 qualify for the free or reduced-price lunch program.
We are volunteer-run and rely on grants and donations to fund our program.

$175 will feed one child on the weekends for a 38-week school year.

The results? Nourished kids ready to learn!

Food is an essential building block, and in this case, it is truly a blessing—especially to a hungry child!