BoCo Backpacks program needs your help to feed children

BONNERS FERRY — BoCo volunteers have cooked up an idea to stir interest and support for the weekend supplemental food program for elementary students.

Sponsor a child and your name will be entered in a drawing for a free gourmet dinner for four, prepared by chefs Tucker and Friends, date and location to be arranged.

A $200 donation will provide nutritional snacks for one Boundary County grade school child for all three-day weekends in the 2013-2014 school years. Each $100 donation will be entered in the drawing and donations of any amount are encouraged.

The school year is drawing to a close and the volunteers in the Boundary County Backpacks will expand the weekend supplemental food program to Valley View Elementary in the fall.

This school year 45 children at Naples and Mt. Hall elementary schools received the food kits for weekends during the school year. With the addition of Valley View to the program, 90 children will be served.

Boundary County’s four-day school week means three days when students who qualify for free and reduced meal programs may have little or no food.

The weekend food kits, purchased from Second Harvest, include nutritionally balanced ready-to-eat portions. The cost per student is $5.80 per week, about $200 per school year and $18,000 is needed to provide for 90 students. Generous support from Idaho Community Foundation, Inland Northwest Community Foundation, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, multiple local sources, and volunteers make this local program possible.

BoCo Backpacks is a community wide volunteer organization, sponsored by the Trinity Lutheran Church. Donations may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church/BoCo Backpacks at 6784 Cody Street, Bonners Ferry. Info or to volunteer please contact Shirley Anderson.