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The 285 Backpack Project, Our Community Feeding Our Kids

Rotary Club of Conifer

August 27, 2015
It is Back to School for the kids in our community. Up to 35% of school children in our community qualify for free and reduced price lunch programs. It is wonderful that these tummies can be filled throughout the school week - but what happens on weekends? These kids often come to school on Monday hungry.

The 285 Backpack Project helps many of these families by providing backpacks filled with easy to prepare meals and snacks to help keep them nourished over the weekend. The Rotary Club of Conifer began this project in the 2012-13 school year with Deer Creek Elementary School. They have since added Fitzsimmons Middle School, Elk Creek Elementary, West Jefferson Elementary and West Jefferson Middle School. Last year the 285 Backpack Project filled 5,070 backpacks with food to help feed hungry children in our community over the weekend.

Volunteers meet to fill bags with meals and snacks which are then distributed to the schools who arrange the delivery to those students in need. The Rotary Club orders the food from Food Bank of the Rockies via the Mountain Resource Center food pantry in Conifer. Backpacks may include food items such as; individual boxed cereal, or instant oatmeal, Macaroni and Cheese, canned tuna, canned or fresh fruit, peanut butter, crackers, granola bars, snack puddings, juice boxes, cookies, canned soup or meals, ramen noodles, etc.

The principal from each school sends a message out to every parent letting them know of this great resource. Families then apply through the principal and only school personnel know who is the beneficiary. Each family who requests food will get a bag of food to to bring home over the weekend.

There are many ways that the community can help with the 285 Backpack project; tax deductible donations to the Conifer Rotary Foundation (a 501c3 organization), volunteering to pick up food from the Food Bank, stuffing bags and delivering them to the schools are a few. Businesses can place ads in the 285 Corridor Coupon Book, which are sold to help support the program.

To find out more information on the Rotary Conifer 285 Backpack Project, you can visit their website at www.285backpackproject.org or email wytiasc45@me.com.