Summer Backpack Program to begin on June 9

To the Editor:

Beginning on Tuesday, June 9, and continuing through Saturday, Aug. 22, the Juniata County Food Pantry will be providing its 14th annual Summer Backpack Program to eligible students in the Juniata County School District. Students who have completed any grade this year from kindergarten through eighth and received free or reduced lunches at school are eligible to participate. Each student will receive food for their lunch to replace what they receive during the school year.

Beginning in May, parents/legal guardians may call the pantry at (717) 436-9718 to schedule an appointment. Please leave a message, and your call will be returned during regular pantry hours. Pantry hours are 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

Parents/legal guardians will be required to provide their child’s/children’s report card(s) as proof of attendance in the Juniata County School District. This will be needed during registration at the first visit. The paper copy or the phone image will be accepted.

As grocery prices continue to rise, our goal remains the same: to ease the financial strain on family food budgets during the summer months. Currently, roughly 47.9 million people (approximately 13.7% of households) in the USA live in food-insecure households, meaning they lack consistent access to adequate food. This includes 14.1 million children or one in five children. Key drivers include inflation, high living costs, and the expiration of pandemic-era assistance. (USDA.gov)

Lack of proper nutrition impacts children negatively. It hinders physical, cognitive, and emotional development. It increases the risk of chronic illnesses (asthma, anemia), developmental delays, behavioral issues, anxiety, depression, and poor academic performance due to difficulty concentrating. (No Kid Hungry)

Single-serve lunch items are needed for the program. Children receive an entrée, a fruit item, a snack, and a juice box or milk for each lunch. Suggested items for donation are: cans/cups of pasta meals; single-serve rice and/or mac ‘n cheese cups; microwave meals; ready-to-heat soups; fruit cups; pudding and Jell-O cups; snack crackers or cookies; single-serve cereal or oatmeal; 100% juice boxes, and cereal/breakfast/granola bars.

Anyone willing to donate food items to our program may drop them off at the Juniata County Food Pantry, 114 N. Main Street in Mifflintown, during our open hours listed above. Financial donations are also greatly appreciated and may be mailed to the Juniata County Food Pantry at Box 44, Mifflintown, PA 17059, with Summer Backpack Program indicated in the memo. Volunteers (adults and high school students) to oversee the program are also needed. High school students will receive documentation of their hours for community service requirements for certain high school activities.

If you have any questions, need a time to deliver donations outside our open hours, or are willing to volunteer, please leave a message on the food pantry’s answering machine (717) 436-9718 for Pat Brown, and I will return your call.

We will also be providing backpacks and school supplies for the students. Distribution of these will occur in August during regularly scheduled food appointments.

Thank you to this community for your ongoing support of the Juniata County Food Pantry and its Summer Backpack Program. Your generosity allows us to successfully fulfill our mission of caring for those in need.

Most sincerely,

Patricia E. Brown

Juniata County Food Pantry