WAUKESHA — With less than a week until a new school year, families in Southeastern Wisconsin are stocking up on supplies.
There is one thing, though, that thousands of students in Waukesha County may go without; food.
“Our mission is feeding kids. We have a really strong food insecurity problem here in Waukesha County, and the need is about 11,000 children,” Susan Reed said.
Reed is the managing director of Blessings in a Backpack’s Waukesha Chapter. The nonprofit delivers free bags of food for students to have on the weekend.
“Most of those students qualify for free lunch, but we assume if there’s food insecurity during the week, there’s food insecurity on the weekend,” Reed explained.
Watch: 'It's a blessing': Nonprofit provides food for thousands of students in Waukesha
The nonprofit currently serves 43 different schools and six school districts across Waukesha County. One of those schools is Banting Elementary School, which has been a partner for years.
“Many of our students take advantage of it. It’s one extra thing they don’t have to think about. They have a snack or something to tide them over for the weekend,” Mary Garcia-Velez, the principal at Banting, said.
Every Friday, volunteers deliver bags of snacks to the schools, including items like cheese-izts, Jack Links, and trail mix.
During recess, the teachers anonymously put the bags into students’ backpacks to take home for the weekend.
“At the time, being a single mom… times were a little tough so this was a great opportunity,” Rachel Hartling, a parent, said.
Her son, while graduating, took part in the program while in the district.
“It was neat seeing him have whatever he wanted, and it felt good. It’s called Blessings in a Backpack, and it really is,” Hartling said.
During the 2024-2025 school year, Reed said they hope to serve 3400 students.
“These children in these schools are ours as well, and we need to take care of our kid,” Reed said.
The bags of food are packed by volunteers several times a year. Reed said they are always looking for people to lend a helping hand.
The organization is currently running a campaign, whose theme is “Love in a Backpack", to shine a light on the positive effects food can have on kids.
For more information, or to get involved, you canvisit their website.
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