Applications available for backpack program

The Town Pump Charitable Foundation is accepting grant applications for the 2024 “Meals for Backpacks” program, which supports schools, food banks, and service organizations that provide weekend meal programs for Montana school children.

“It is 65 hours from the time school is dismissed on Friday afternoon until the bell rings on Monday morning,” the Foundation says on its website. “Often, children in Montana go hungry on the weekends. It is estimated that one in six Montana children live in homes that struggle to keep food on the table.”

Organizations can apply for the grants at http://www.townpumpfoundation.com/backpacks through Sept. 29. Grants will be awarded in mid-October.

The Foundation’s goal this year is to fund over 100,000 weekend meal bags through $650,000 in grants, said Bill McGladdery, director of corporate communications for Town Pump. Grants range from $2,500 to $10,000. Most weekend backpacks include two breakfasts, two lunches, and a snack that replaces the meals children would receive at school.

Research shows that healthy, well-nourished children learn better, are more likely to attend school and take advantage of educational opportunities, McGladdery said. Benefits of a backpack program include increased test scores, improved attendance, reduced behavioral issues, greater attention span, and quality teaching time for all students, he added.

In 2023, the Town Pump Charitable Foundation’s Meals for Backpacks program provided grants in 93 Montana communities totaling over $550,000.

“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,” McGladdery said.