September 17, 2021 – Today at Dennis Lab School, Big Blue Backpacks announced they are extending their efforts and will provide for 80 students at American Dreamer STEM Academy with food each weekend during the school year.
“This expansion to include the American Dreamer STEM Academy has been in the planning stages this past year and we are so pleased that we are able to help twice as many students now in the school district,” said Mary Garrison, professor of social work for Millikin University. “Our Community impact is great as students benefit from nutrition that will enhance their academic skills for school success.”
The organization purchases food items and packs them into food bags for over-the-weekend nourishment. This year Big Blue Backpacks will serve 160 students with these meals. Big Blue Backpacks provides breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks to children in hopes to ease hunger and related academic deficits.
Big Blue Backpacks started providing bags of food for students in need in September of 2016. Since then, Big Blue Backpacks has continued to raise funding through generous private donations, community agency donations and fundraisers as well as the support of the WSOY Food Drive. All money raised goes directly to the food that the students receive without any overhead expenses.
Each bag that Big Blue Backpacks provides contains 10 food items for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks. Examples of common items found in the bags include granola bars, oatmeal, breakfast bars, noodles, soups, canned vegetables, pasta, tuna, macaroni, gummy bears, fruit snacks, pudding cups and fruit cups. Families enrolled in Big Blue Backpacks do not pay anything; the program is free to those receiving the food.
Families enrolled in Big Blue Backpacks do not pay anything; the program is free to those receiving the food. This means that fundraising by the leadership team is ongoing to ensure the continued success of the program. It only costs $80 per student an academic year to provide them with the resources that they need in order to have the chance to succeed. Any financial donation is helpful and Big Blue Backpacks is currently offering sponsorship tiers for donors to choose from:
- School Desk ($80): Sponsors one (1) student for an academic school year
- Lunch Table ($800): Sponsors 10 students for an academic school year
- Classroom ($2,000): Sponsors 25 students for an academic school year
- School Bus ($4,000): Sponsors 50 students for an academic school year
Anyone wishing to donate any amount can make a check out to Big Blue Backpacks and send it to Professor Mary Garrison, Millikin University, 1184 W. Main Street, Decatur, IL 62522.
