“I look at faces, not numbers, and the thought that any of these kids were hungry, made me want to do something.” – Krista Lillquist
By Maureen Vander Sanden
Editor
It’s hard to believe that even in a rural school system like Elkhorn Area School District nearly 40 percent of students are at or below poverty level.
But with the rising costs of gas and groceries, as well as job loss resulting from the economic downturn in recent years, a number of families are struggling to even put food on the table.
“People are faced with some really tough choices. That dollar is being stretched so much thinner,” local mom Krista Lillquist said.
Inspired after reading an article in People magazine about the program called Blessings in a Backpack, which aims to feed hungry children on the weekends, Lillquist got to work in recent months to bring the program to Elkhorn.
With two kids of her own enrolled at Tibbets Elementary, she thought the school would be a good place to start, and according to Principal Greg Wells, there is a need.
“When I came here 13 years ago, we had about 7 percent free and reduced lunch students,” he stated. “My percentage this year is about 28. So the number has increased four-fold in my tenure here.”
Blessings in a Backpack provides elementary schoolchildren who are on the federal free and reduced price meal program with a backpack of food to take home for 38 weeks during the school year.
Backpack food includes easy-to-prepare, ready-to-eat foods, like granola bars, juice boxes, macaroni and cheese, and oatmeal.
It costs just $80 for the whole school year, or $2.10 a week to send one child home with food to get through the weekend.
Lillquist recalls reading with a group of first graders last year and imagining that some of those students could be at risk of hunger.
“I look at faces, not numbers, and the thought that any of these kids were hungry, made me want to do something,” she said last Thursday as she packed applesauce, crackers and other items into individual bags for delivery the next morning, alongside volunteers Carol Burton and Lynn Jeka.
Lillquist pitched the idea to Wells last spring, who was eager to bring the program to his school.
With a nod from Wells, she got to work soliciting local businesses and civic groups in order to fund the program.
The support garnered from the community to get the program up and running has “been fabulous,” Lillquist says.
With $10,000 raised – the bulk of those funds coming from The Elkhorn Fund and Walmart – Lillquist said the program can feed 125 students.
Currently only seven students are taking advantage of the program – a number Lillquist hopes increases as more families learn about the program.
“Of the three (elementary schools in the district), Tibbets is the best off, so the fact that we have that many shows there is even a greater need than we even anticipated,” she said.
Lillquist said she hopes the program will expand to include Jackson and West Side, but first remains focused on establishing a strong program at Tibbets.
Wells says he is grateful to Lillquist, “who has a passion and heart for this program.”
“Research has shown that participation (in Blessings) increases attendance and performance data while at the same time decreasing behavior referrals to the school office,” he added.
To Lillquist and her team of volunteers assembling “backpacks” each Thursday at Millard Community Covenant Church, making a difference in kids’ lives – even for just a weekend, creates a sense of accomplishment.
“I want to help as many kids as we can, and I’d like to see the numbers (of students served) increase,” she said. “But in the meantime, we’ve already made a difference.”
To donate to Blessings in a Backpack, volunteer or participate in the program, contact Lillquist at kristalillquist@aol.com.
