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What started as a program serving 35 students at Hawthorne Elementary School in 2016, the Food for Backpacks program in Albert Lea has since grown to include over 580 students in preschool and up in the Albert Lea school district.

While the program has strong support from area churches and receives some other grants and donations, organizers are asking people to consider sponsoring a student for the school year in an effort to help sustain the program.

The cost to sponsor one student for the year is $181.20 and includes a meal packet going home over the weekend for 40 weeks. Each packet includes typically two breakfasts, two snacks and two lunches from a company called JA Foodservice for $4.53 per bag.

David Drommerhausen, one of the organizers of the project, said in 2016 his late wife, Julie, was a part of a committee at Grace Lutheran Church.

Being so close to Hawthorne Elementary School, the church would often help out when needed. One day, the school social worker called and told them about some students who were in her office who hadn’t eaten all weekend.

The church group from there wanted to do something about it and went to check out other similar programs in the area and now has a system in place.

They now also have sponsorships that cover half of the annual cost from First Lutheran, Hayward Lutheran, Ascension Lutheran, Zion Lutheran, United Methodist, Crossroads Church and the Freeborn County Mental Health Collaborative. Other grants have come from the Freeborn County Communities Foundation, Disabled American Veterans, United Way of Freeborn County, Mayo Clinic, New Life Christian Church, J&D Storage, Alerus, Ventura Foods, OneLove Rising, Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative-Operation Roundup, Central Freeborn Lutheran Church and many other service clubs, individuals and businesses.

The program is organized and led by volunteers, who work with the social workers at the schools to get the food delivered and discretely placed into the students’ backpacks. Parents typically sign a permission form at the beginning of the school year. No requirements are in place.

Students are currently receiving food at all of the district schools except for the high school.

Though the program has been around now for eight years, Drommerhausen said he still finds people who have not heard about it before. He has been busy presenting to service clubs and other organizations this fall to spread the word about the program.

He said the program has held a special place for him because his wife taught first grade in Alden for over 30 years. She would express to him that even during her time teaching there were children who would come in on Monday mornings who had not eaten since they were at school the Friday before, he said. She would walk them down the hall to the lunch room, where the lunch workers would make them a peanut butter sandwich.

He talked about how children can’t learn if they are coming into school on an empty stomach.

In his presentations, he talks about the best way to end the cycle of poverty and food insecurity is through an excellent education.

To find out more about the program, visit foodforbackpacks.com.