Union Bank this week awarded Community Food Bank a grant in the amount of $1,620. The check was presented to the Food Bank staff by Irene Recht, vice president and manager of the Hollister branch of Union Bank.
"We’re thrilled to welcome Union Bank into our circle of friends of the food bank," said Maria Lynn Thomas, chief executive officer at the food bank. "Irene has been so supportive through the grant process. We look forward to developing a fruitful partnership."
There's a story behind the funding amount. The grant request was made last September, when nearly all of Union's available support for nonprofit organizations was committed. After reviewing Community Food Bank's grant request, Union Bank officials opted to empty out their giving account with the last 2015 allocation.
The grant is earmarked for School Backpack Bags, a Community Food Bank effort that reached 300 local children by the end of last school year. Community Food Bank partners with local elementary and middle schools to identify students who are not getting sufficient nutritious food over the weekends. To help children stay well nourished when school food programs aren't available, the Food Bank delivers bags of child-friendly food for students to take home in their backpacks on Fridays.
Typical Backpack Bags contain single-serving bowls of cereal, granola bars, fruit cups or applesauce, dried fruit, nuts or trail mix, single serving portions of peanut butter and cheese and crackers or peanut butter and crackers.
Teachers themselves identify students who may not have access to enough nutritious food over the weekend. Last year, the program was operating in eight local schools. Teachers report that students arrive at school each Monday alert and ready to learn. Teachers polled at Calaveras School even said students are more eager to share what they learned at school with their parents.
"The Backpack Bag effort is just one of the ways we reach out to the community," Thomas said. "Through a variety of efforts at a variety of locations, we were able to help 4,500 people last month."
Grant to help food bank with school backpack bags
The grant is earmarked for School Backpack Bags, a Community Food Bank effort that reached 300 local children by the end of last school year
