Buddy Backpacks

$9 provides a local child at-risk of hunger with a weekend's worth of food through UWNEMN's Buddy Backpack program!

The program provides a backpack filled with nutritious, nonperishable, child-friendly food items to children who are at-risk of going hungry over the weekends.  During the 2024-25 school year, Buddy Backpacks will help fight weekend hunger by providing these food kits to more than 1,000 children on the Iron Range and in Koochiching County each Friday or holiday break from school. The program provides nourishment for food-insecure children so that they can come back to school on Monday mornings ready to learn, grow and thrive.

Poverty levels continue to rise throughout our service territories, with more than 47% of our children qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Teachers and school nurses have shared many stories of children returning to school Monday after a weekend without enough to eat. Many of these children complain of stomach cramps, headaches and dizziness. Some have a decreased attention span or lack enthusiasm to learn because they are concentrating on their hunger more than learning. While during the school week these children rely on the nutritious free or reduced breakfast and lunch programs, but the same cannot be said for weekends and school breaks. Children that are hungry are affected in many different ways:

• They suffer from iron deficiencies, affecting cognitive and physical development

• They are twice as likely to repeat a grade in school

• As teens, are five times more likely to commit suicide

We need your support to help feed hungry children in northeastern Minnesota over the weekends through Buddy Backpacks!