Snak Paks utilizes a unique relationship with community partners and schools to feed children living in poverty on the weekends. Children who receive free breakfast and lunch at school often go home on weekends with no guarantee of nourishment. Snak Paks alleviates this hunger by asking participating schools to identify children who are chronically hungry. Every Friday these children go home with a backpack full of healthy snacks to see them through the weekend. Each school has a community partner (a church, civic group or sometimes another school) who is responsible for picking up the food from CFB and packing a backpack for each student. The packs are also used as a tool to provide information to the children and their families about nutrition, services of the food bank, and Federal programs for which the family may qualify. Evaluations received from the schools regarding this program tell us that children are sick less often, have fewer stomach aches, and are more eager and able to learn.

Initiated in January, 2004, the Snak Paks for Kids program was piloted by a partnership between St. Francis in the Foothills United Methodist Church, Erickson Elementary School and the Community Food Bank. With a grant from Tucson Electric Power and countless volunteer hours, the Snak Pak program got off to a great start. In 2005, the program was re-energized with a grant from the Diamond Family Foundation. In 2006, the Snak Pak program was the recipient of the generosity of the UA4Food Drive which enabled us to enhance and expand the program to include five community partners and eight schools, serving a total of 450 children. If your group, organization or school might be interested in partnering to start a Snak Pak program, please contact Sandra Vijsma, our Child Nutrition Programs Manager, at 520-622-0525 ext. 247 or svijsma@communityfoodbank.com.