For many students in our region, the school cafeteria is their most reliable source of food.
On weekends and during school breaks, however, healthy meals can be few and far between. As the school year approaches, Wegmans shoppers can play a vital role in ensuring thousands of students across the region are well fed, so they can be well read.
The annual Fill the Bus campaign, a food drive to benefit Foodlink’s BackPack Program, is officially underway at all Rochester-area Wegmans and will run through September 4. The BackPack Program provides bags of nutritious, kid-friendly foods every Friday to children who are at risk of food insecurity. Approximately 3,000 children at more than 80 schools benefit from this program in Foodlink’s 10-county service area.
“Too many children in the Rochester region leave school on Friday afternoon without knowing when they’ll eat their next meal,” said Julia Tedesco, Foodlink’s President & CEO. “Providing nourishment to kids when they no longer have access to school meals gives them a greater opportunity to succeed in the classroom and in our community.”
Last year, the campaign collected 305,073 pounds of food, which helped fill more than 60,000 bags. Wegmans hopes to exceed that 300,000-pound mark once again.
Nearly 50,000 children in Foodlink’s 10-county service area are considered food insecure, meaning they live in a household that lacks consistent access to enough healthy food. Wegmans shoppers will see signs for the 2018 Fill the Bus campaign at local, participating stores, with suggested items to purchase and donate. Pre-packaged bags of food ranging from $3 to $10 are also available at checkout.
For more information about Fill the Bus and/or the BackPack Program, visit www.foodlinkny.org.
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