Linda Curtis-Stolper
Newton
In the fall of 2012, volunteers gathered to address concerns that some Newton elementary school students did not receive adequate nutrition over weekends. Joining a Food Bank of Iowa program called Backpack Buddies, 40 students were initially identified and quietly provided with a bag of kid-friendly, healthy food items on the last day of every school week. From the beginning, the program depended on the efforts of dedicated volunteers who transported food from Des Moines to Newton, repackaged items into individual bags, distributed bags to the elementary schools, gave the bags to students, provided inventory information to the Food Bank, and more.
The name has changed to the Feeding America Backpack Program and the number of Newton students receiving weekly bags has increased to 117 students at present. The Food Bank of Iowa currently provides nutritious food to more than 5,000 children at 139 sites in central Iowa every week. In anticipation of the program continuing to expand, the Food Bank of Iowa has recently changed the way in which foods are supplied. Pre-packed bags will continue to provide weekend nutrition to the students but will not require as many volunteers.
We would like to recognize and thank the following groups whose volunteer efforts made the program happen: the Salvation Army for use of their truck to collect food and bring it to Newton; St. Luke United Methodist Church for storing the inventory and allowing us space for monthly packing mornings; Hy-Vee for donating plastic bags to hold the food items; Newton Rotary Club for helping deliver bins of packed bags to the elementary schools; and the organizations that spent a Saturday morning assembling the bags: Newton Rotary Club, First Baptist Church, Xi Delta Eta Sorority, St. Luke United Methodist Church, Newton Noon Kiwanis Club, Newton High School Girls Varsity Basketball Team, Knights of Columbus, Golden K Kiwanis Club, Lions Club, First United Methodist Church, Congregational United Church of Christ, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Seventh Day Adventist Church, First Lutheran Church, Aktion Kiwanis Club, First Presbyterian Church. We also thank the school personnel who handled the distribution of the bags to the students.
Time involvement by volunteers has been reduced but the financial need will grow as the program expands. Groups and individuals are encouraged to consider donations to the Food Bank of Iowa earmarked for the Newton Feeding America Backpack Program.