There are students in our community who are hungry. Gorham Middle School alternative education teacher Heather Whitaker and social worker Thom Courtney, along with Village social worker Jen Baker, are working hard to make sure those students are less hungry on the weekend.

This fall, Gorham launched a BackPack Program. Students who experience food insecurity and/or chronic hunger will receive food to bring home over the weekend, when the National Free and Reduced Lunch Program is not available.

Food is packed in plastic bags (donated by Gorham Hannaford) by parent volunteers at the middle school and then sent out to all schools. Teachers will help students discreetly pack their bags during appropriate times before the weekend.

Each week, through this program, students will receive a source of grain, fruit, vegetable, and protein in their BackPack through a variety of staple meal items, breakfast foods, and healthy snacks. Each bag is limited to roughly 5 lbs. so that all students can fit the food in their personal backpack regardless of age.

Students receive items for personal consumption (breakfast cereal, juice, shelf-stable milk, fruit cups, applesauce, instant mac-n-cheese, soup, Chef Boyardee, and canned vegetables) and one family item (pasta and sauce or items to make pizza or waffle mix and canned blueberries).

School staff report that many students come to school hungry and show symptoms of hunger throughout the school day. Good nutrition is essential for good health and success at school. Children who experience food insecurity often have trouble concentrating, overall lower academic performance, difficulty interacting with peers and teachers, lower graduation rates, and difficulty managing their behavior.

“We anticipate, over time, an enrollment of 100-150 total students,” said Whitaker. “This number is based on research from Good Shepard Food Bank.”

Whitaker, Courtney, and Baker can’t help these students alone. They need community members to volunteer and/ or help fund the program as it costs roughly $225 per year, per student, to receive food through the program. Food will be sent home every Friday and over long weekends and holidays.

Any student, K-12, who is experiencing food insecurity and/or chronic hunger may participate in the program. Students are nominated by a staff member in the school, parents, and/or students may self-refer.

Participants do not pay. It is not a school funded program. It is fully funded through donations made by the community. With the expected enrollment, as the program builds, the financial campaign needs to raise around $25,000 every year. This program is replicated in Scarborough and Windham, and is able to be fully funded by community members.

Gorham’s BackPack program has $2,000 to start with. The program has received initial funding from the Gorham Educational Foundation (GEF), The Offices at 510 Main/The Old Richardson Place, Great Falls Construction, TradeMasters, Inc., and Teacher’s Pet Daycare and Preschool. Additional fundraising efforts have begun and a School Street Community Night is planned for Wednesday, October 18.

The first backpack will be sent home on Thursday, October 5, before the Columbus Day holiday, and will be sent home every week until the end of the school year. Current funding will cover October and November.

Donation checks can be made out to: Gorham School Department with BackPack Program written in the memo line. A receipt will be mailed for tax purposes. Please send to: Hollis Cobb, Finance Officer, Gorham School Department, 75 South Street, Gorham, Maine 04038.

Please contact a program coordinator if interested in volunteering, making a donation, or for more information. Baker is the elementary school coordinator: jennifer.baker@gorhamschools.org, 222-1300 and Whitaker is the GMS and GHS coordinator: heather.whitaker@gorhamschools.org.