Mission
Blessings in a Backpack mobilizes communities, individuals, and resources to provide food on the weekends for school aged children across America who might otherwise go hungry.
Programs and Services
- Who will feed the kids this weekend? Did you know that 13.4 MILLION CHILDREN are experiencing food insecurity? That’s one in five American children who may be struggling with access to food. Poor nutrition causes more than a growling stomach. It can result in a weaker immune system, increased hospitalization, lower IQ, shorter attention spans, and lower academic achievement.
- Blessings in a Backpack programs provide food on the weekends for school-aged children who might otherwise go hungry. Blessings in a Backpack closes the weekend nutrition gap for children who are fed throughout the week by our school’s free breakfast and lunch program. Each week during the school year, volunteers purchase food and pack bags to be discreetly distributed on Friday. Items are child-appropriate, nutritious, shelf-stable, and are individual servings that can be eaten by a child without assistance from an adult. We work to select items that the children will like that also provide proteins, fibers, and other nutrients while minimizing processed sugars and salt.
- The Ringgold Elementary School North (RESN) Blessings in a Backpack program is currently providing bags of food to 106 children each weekend. The majority of students in our district meet the government requirements for food assistance. Families who qualify can opt in to the program (it is not mandatory) and teachers can also refer a child that they have concerns about. The bag contains 8 items including several proteins, several fruits, breakfast items, and snacks. When there is a long weekend or holiday break we try to provide as many as 14 items. Each bag is discreetly placed into the child’s backpack by their homeroom teacher.
- It costs about $150 to feed each child for the school year and we depend entirely on donations. Each Blesssings in a Backpack program raises their own funds. Like other nonprofits, higher food costs have been a struggle, but we are dedicated to continuing to provide the same number and types of items. Donations go directly into RESN's Blessings in a Backpack account and are used to buy food in bulk at Sam's Club for our program.
- Financials for the Ringgold branch are: Revenue: $3,851.07; Expenses: $7,031.18; Net Assets: $30,874.60
Primary Revenue Sources
Corporate, foundation, and individual donations
Primary Fundraising Event
Programs fund raise individually for their school. Our primary fundraising is through church food drives and monetary donations.
2022 Financials
| Federal Tax ID | 26-1964620 |
| Revenue | $13,187,930 |
| Expenses | $15,489,731 |
| Net Assets | $11,368,901 |
Contact
| Name: | Jaymi Moody |
|---|---|
| Title: | Program Coordinator - Ringgold Elementary School North Blessings in a Backpack |
| Email: | blessingsresn@gmail.com |
| Website: | www.blessingsinabackpack.org |
| Phone: | 724-941-2157 |
| Address: |
Ringgold Elementary School North Blessings in a Backpack, 3685 Finleyville Elrama Road Finleyville, PA 15332 |
This website contains an organizational snapshot, as well as links and contact information, for each of our participating charities. We have also included the tax identification number for each charity so Donors wishing to review more detailed financial and governance information may access the Form 990 for that charity via irs.gov.