MCPS Community Education Director Nancy Shockency is looking to the community for help in keeping Feeding America’s Backpack program alive and well in Marion County.
The Backpack program is designed to provide food to needy students to address hunger over the weekend. The school district’s Family Resource and Youth Service Center (FRYSC) directors identify students who could benefit from the program and Shockency works with Feeding America to provide bundles of food that go home with the students at the end of each school week.
“It’s had a great impact,” Schockency said. “When I first started doing this, the schools had maybe 15-20 kids. Now, I’m up to 80-100 kids per school. So there’s just a great need for it.”
The program is funded through local monetary donations. A majority of the donations come from either businesses or groups with some donations coming from individuals, Shockency explained. It costs $4 per week or $160 for the entire school year to fund one child.
However, with an increase in the number of students served, Shockency says more donations are needed to continue to provide the weekly food bundles which the FRYSC directors send home with the students.
“I’m asking the community for their help because this is such a vital program,” Shockency said.
According to Shockency, the simplest way to donate is to complete the Backpack Program donation form and mail it along with the donation directly to Feeding America.
For more information, you can contact Shockency by email at nancy.shockency@marion.kyschools.us.