Backpack Buddies programs exist through food banks all across the country. The program began in Little Rock, Arkansas, when a school nurse asked for help because hungry kids were coming to her with stomach aches and dizziness. The local food bank began providing children with food in non-descript backpack to carry home. Backpack Buddies is one of the national programs and services provided through Feeding America. Currently, over 130 Feeding America member food banks are operating backpack programs in 41 states and Washington, D.C. Many children in Iowa rely on resources such as the federal free or reduced-priced school meal program, during the school year. Backpack Buddies provides sacks of healthy, kid-friendly food to low-income children on weekends and school breaks, when they do not have access to the federal free and reduced price meal programs. 1 in 6 children in Iowa under age 18 are food insecure. Food insecure families do not have enough food to fully meet basic needs at all times. Children are selected by their eligibility for the federal free and reduced-price meal program and by the guidelines for identifying the chronically hungry child. This program is both free and confidential for the child and their family. The Food Bank of Iowa serves more than 2,500 children each week through Backpack Buddies. The contents of the sacks vary each week, but contain a variety of items such as pop-top meals or soup, 100% juice, single-serve cereal, fruit cups, peanut butter and shelf-stable 2% milk. The Backpack Buddy Program strives to provide convenient healthy foods to growing children. It is imperative that the food in the bags be accessible for small hands to open so we use single serving sizes. As much as kids like their treats and snacks, it is important to this program that the food provided have nutritional value for kids. Much of the product for the Backpack Buddies program must be purchased due to the sizes needed and nutritional requirements. To keep our costs as low as possible so that more children can be served we plan in advance for food needs and work to secure competitive pricing. Each bag costs $2.85 – a small investment to make for a hungry child. Community Partners assist the Food Bank of Iowa in food pick-up, packing, storing and delivery to schools right in their neighborhoods. Come help stage and bag the food for these awesome kids in our community! Meet in the breezeway at 8:40 to walk over together!! Enter through the back door.