Since 2012, the Heatly Backpack Program in conjunction with The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, has helped alleviate child hunger by discreetly providing hungry children with backpacks full of nutritious and easy-to-prepare food on Friday afternoons so they have food to eat throughout the weekend.
The Program Coordinator is Sue Nichols. Referrals are accepted from teachers, parents and other community members. Families are contacted by the coordinators to accept enrollment into the program. The Backpack Program begins the first week in October through the first week in June. Groceries are sent home on Thursdays or Fridays. The bags are usually overfilled on long weekends. It is asked that the bag come back empty on Monday.
To maintain confidentiality, only the classroom teacher is aware of which student receives the service.
The Backpack Program is available for students K-12.
Anyone interested in joining the program can contact snichols@greenisland.org or send a message to the classroom teacher and they will contact the Program Coordinators.