Introducing one of our BackPack Buddies expansion schools … Middle Creek Elementary School in Apex.
One of the ways we make BackPack Buddies a success story is by growing it incrementally and sustainably—expanding service when we know we have the resources to make a lasting impact. 2,340 children in our service area started this school year enrolled in BackPack Buddies, up from 2,100 served last year. One of our newest schools in that addition is Middle Creek Elementary School in Apex.
“Sometimes when we think of Apex, Cary, Holly Springs we don’t think that there are children in these schools that are in need,” says Michele Lesniak, Social Worker at Middle Creek. “Right now we have 20 students enrolled, and I already have a wait list of about 10 more students, but honestly, there are probably 200 kids who would benefit from the program.”
Michele rightly points out that BackPack Buddies is about so much more than the food. “It is about building relationships with the children and the families. It gives us a chance to check in with the children, to see how they are doing and how their families are doing.” Year-round students are just as vulnerable during track-outs as traditional students are during the summer.
Because Middle Creek is a year-round school, they pair BackPack Buddies with a track-out food program called Grow Our Kids which delivers non-perishable food baskets right to children’s homes.
It takes a network of programs, volunteers, administrators, and donors to help make sure these kids have the food they need to grow & thrive. Click here to find out ways that you can be a part of the solution!