Snack in a Backpack has seen an 80% increase in children with food insecurity due to a loss of jobs stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The organization has also had to decrease the number of volunteers that can help at any specific time due to social distancing guidelines, directly resulting in an increase in meal packing time.
“We have been blessed with a community that has come to the rescue with an outpouring of funding, food, transportation, muscle and hope,” Executive Director Debby Beck said. “We are packing and delivering over 350 children meals bags twice a week and 200 family’s staples and produce once a week.”
The total for the month of June was 15,444 meals, Beck said.
Members of the community have joined together to help fund the program and help food insecure children. According to Beck, people have sent checks, made donations online at https://snackinabackpack.org and gotten their companies involved as well.
“Many civic organizations like the Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club and the Marine Corps League sent help,” Beck said. “The business community rallied to our aid in a big way. The wave of support started in April and has continued through the summer with Wilson Hamilton, LLC., Dr. Dean Worthingston, Donald Curtis Home and Auto, Inc., Walmart, Tri-State EMC Foundation, St. Luke’s Anglican Church, Faith Presbyterian Church, Blue Ridge Kiwanis Club, South State Bank, Mountain Town Realty and Temple Baptist Church all making contributions.”
Local breweries, Grumpy Old Men and Buck Bald, have collaborated with special beers to benefit Snack in a Backpack.
Serenberry Vineyards has also created hand sanitizer and has given the proceeds to both Snack in a Backpack and Fannin County Family Connection.
According to Beck, local stores, Blue Ridge Cotton Company and Gather, are giving 1% of all of their sales in June, July and August to help feed children.
Snack in a Backpack is still in need of donations. Those interested can donate online at https://snackinabackpack.org/volunteer or by mail to Snack in a Backpack, P.O. Box 2123, Blue Ridge, Georgia, 30513.
Those interested in volunteering their time can fill out a Snack Interest Letter at https://snackinabackpack.org/volunteer.