Last Week: The McBackpack Program

Last week Rotarians learned that 18% of Poudre School District students live at or below the poverty line, and nationwide more than 40% of teachers say they bring “extra” food on Mondays, to alleviate the malnourishment students face on weekends.  After a nourishing meal, Dr. Dale Lake, McBackback Program board member shared a short video on the program, and answered questions.  PSD School Board Director Susan Gutowsky introduced Dr. Lake, noting his varied career.  

Ten years ago Ann Randall (Assistant professor at CSU) and Gerry Lake (retired journal editor) recognized the problem faced by malnourished students, and started filling and delivering five bags of food to two PSD schools each Friday.  The word spread quickly, other schools began requesting food bags, and teachers volunteered to pick them up.  

According to Dr. Lake, today, 50 volunteers fill more than 400 food bags each week, and deliver them to 38 PSD schools.  These bags provide more than 1200 students with weekend meals during the 35-week school year.  In 2016-17, they will deliver over 12,000 food bags, providing over 38,000 meals.  McBackpack is able to fill each bag for approximately $5 per bag.  

When the volunteers are asked why they get up at six each Thursday and do this for 35 weeks a school year, they will typically respond: “when I sit down to Saturday dinner and know that more than 1200 kids are also eating in part, because of my contribution, I receive all the reward I need.”