Multiple grants to All Faiths Food Bank support work to end child hunger
Seven grants totaling $155,500 awarded to All Faiths Food Bank to support BackPack program
Sarasota, FL – For many children in our community, school is a place where they not only can learn, but also count on breakfast and lunch. More than 50% of students in Sarasota County and 100% of students in DeSoto County rely on free and reducedcost meals – but when school is out, these meals aren’t available.
To bolster efforts to end childhood hunger, six local organizations have awarded grants, totaling $155,500, to All Faiths Food Bank (AFFB) i n support of its BackPack program, which provides healthy, ready-to-eat food to students in Sarasota and DeSoto counties to eat over the weekend and during school holidays. The funders are: The Harry Sudakoff Foundation, $40,000; Roberta Leventhal Sudakoff Foundation, $40,000; Bank of America Charitable Foundation, $40,000; Solar Quest Foundation, $20,000; Harold C. and Jacqueline F. Bladel Foundation, Inc., $8,000; Saint Boniface Episcopal Church, $ 5 , 0 0 0 ; and Heron Creek Community Foundation, $2,500.
Feeding America’s “Map the Meal Gap” study reports 10.6% of children living in Sarasota are food insecure, while 18.6% of DeSoto schoolchildren are at risk of hunger. Food insecurity is a lack of consistent access to sufficient food for an active, healthy life, and its consequences can be devastating – particularly for children. Childhood food insecurity has been shown to lead to acute and chronic health problems, increased hospitalizations, poor academic performance, and mental health conditions, like anxiety and depression.
The BackPack program was All Faiths Food Bank’s first child hunger-focused initiative, launched more than 16 years ago. In addition to schools, BackPacks are also distributed through child-centered community organizations, including public libraries, agencies and nonprofits.
Children at the highest risk of hunger are identified by parents or school administrators. The items change throughout the year to ensure a variety of foods; selections are also guided by feedback from child focus groups.
“We know children are most at risk of hunger in the evenings, over weekends and when school is otherwise not in session,”
said AFFB’s President and CEO, Nelle S. Miller. “By providing healthy foods through the BackPack program, our supporters help children live healthier, happier lives – and set them up for success. We are so grateful to these recent funders for partnering with us to end child hunger.”
The funds from these recent grant awards will help AFFB fill more than 31,000 BackPacks. 12,600 children will receive BackPacks each week during the 2024-2025 school year.
To learn more about All Faiths Food Bank, visit allfaithsfoodbank.org or call 941-379-6333.
