Tuesday afternoon Kiwanis Club assisted the Bainbridge Service Club in packing backpacks with food for children who are in need and presenting them with a check in order to purchase more goods.

The backpack program packs food every Tuesday to send home with students, who may not have enough food to get through the weekend. They rely on volunteers to help pack the bags in order to make it time efficient.

Students are identified through referrals and fill out an information sheet, where all the children in the home are listed, along with their age and grade level. Due to funding, the backpack program only goes through the sixth grade. However, teachers from Hutto and Bainbridge Middle School have reached out to backpack organizer, Stephanie Poitevint for help and she said they do what they are able on a needs to needs basis.

Each sack contains soup, applesauce, a fruit cup, a granola bar, ramen noodles, grits, Vienna sausages and a jar of peanut butter.

Each child in the elementary grade school level who needs the food will receive it.

The food does not come in actual backpacks; it did at the beginning, but the bags were never returned. They are now sent to the school and the school counselor can ensure each child gets his or her bag. 

Poitevint knows without the community this wouldn’t be possible, so she thanks everyone for their time and donations that help ensure no child goes hungry.

Anyone who would like to volunteer is encouraged to participate. The group meets at the old West Bainbridge Elementary on Martin Street every Tuesday at 3 p.m.