FundingWhere do you get funding for your program?We do various fundraising activities throughout the year and accept donations from people like you throughout the year. How do you get food the for the backpacks? We purchase our food through the Illinois Central Food Bank, we do not accept food donations to assure quality and consistency throughout the bags. Is there a cost for the student families to participate? There is absolutely no cost to families of students to participate in the program, the 80 students we will serve in our first year of the program have been identified by Dennis Lab School, so it is completely anonymous who is getting the bags. |
ProgramWho do you serve?We provide meals for 80 students at Dennis Lab School in hopes that with one less worry about where their next meal is coming from they will strive in school and in life.
Why is it needed at Dennis Lab School? A high percentage of students at Dennis Lab qualify for free or reduced lunch, and it has been proven that students do not learn as well if they come to school hungry. By providing meals, students can be more successful in the classroom. Where do you assemble the backpacks? We put our bags together every Wednesday from 11am to noon at the Good Samaritan Inn and they get distributed to students the following Friday. How often do backpacks come home? Backpacks go home every Friday, filled with 2 breakfast 3 dinners, 2 lunches, 2 snack items and hygiene products to help students be well feed over the weekend. When did this program start? This program started with an idea by Millikin Alum Tasha Wilson, to start a backpack program, one year of planning, research and development we will have our first bag packing day September 6th, 2016. Are there nutritional requirements for the items in the backpack? In our year of research, our team contacted a nutritionist who recommended the best foods to put in our bags to insure the most nutrition for students receiving bags. Get InvolvedWhat can I do to help?
We're always looking for volunteers to help us assemble our bags, sign up for our newsletter for updates on when you can help us assemble bags at the Good Samaritan Inn. You can also donate to us by visiting the Donate tab. |