When students leave school for the weekend, the last thing they should have to worry about is having enough food to eat over the weekend. Research has shown that 1 in 6 Montana children live in homes that struggle to put food on the table. 

Thanks to Montana School Districts, food banks, food pantries, and civic organizations, weekends are worry-free for many Montana children. 

The concept is simple: children at risk of weekend hunger receive a bag of food that is child-friendly, nutritious, and non-perishable to ensure they get enough food on weekends and holidays to avoid hunger when they can’t depend on school meals. 

Every “backpack” program is unique to the community and school it serves. Generally a “backpack” will include enough food to replace the meals that children would receive at school (e.g. two breakfast options, two lunch options, two snack options, a can of fruit, and a can of vegetables). 

Federal reimbursement is not available for the food provided by backpack programs. Most Montana backpack programs are run through food banks, food pantries, schools and other civic organizations that are already providing emergency and supplemental food assistance for families in need. These groups are dependent on grants, donations and fundraisers to cover their costs. 

In 2023, the Town Pump Charitable Foundation’s “Meals for Backpacks” program provided grants in 93 Montana communities totaling $630,000 to schools, food banks, food pantries, and other community organizations that provide weekend meal programs to Montana students.

Since the inception of the “Meals for Backpacks” program in 2016, the Town Pump Charitable Foundation has provided $3.6 million is financial assistance for weekend meal programs.

By providing kids with the nutrients they need when they are away from school, they show up on Monday morning healthy and ready to learn.