Big Blue Backpacks co-chair Kendall Rossignol
November 20, 2023 – Millikin University’s Big Blue Backpacks is celebrating its 8th year, providing bags of food for students in need around Decatur.
The Big Blue Backpacks program started in Sept. 2016 as a partnership with Millikin University, Dennis Lab School, American Dreamer STEM Academy, the Good Samaritan Inn, and the Decatur Public Schools Foundation.
The group currently provides bags of food for 100 students at Dennis Lab and American Dream STEM Academy. The program announced yesterday that they will soon add 20-25 students at Michael E. Baum Elementary School in Decatur to bring the total to 125.
Each week, Millikin students assemble each bag to prepare it for delivery to the students. Each bag provided by Big Blue Backpacks contains 10 food items for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks.
Typical items include granola bars, oatmeal, breakfast bars, noodles, soup, canned vegetables, pasta, tuna, macaroni, gummy bears, fruit snacks, pudding cups, and fruit cups.
The group is funded through generous private donations, community agency donations, and fundraisers. Donations can be made through the Decatur Public Schools Foundation or by clicking HERE.
All money raised goes directly to the food that the organization provides to students, without any overhead expenses.
