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Schools

Blessings in a Backpack Sends Food Home to Students in Need

The Wyandotte program will begin in the fall at Garfield Elementary School and plans to expand districtwide.

Come October, students who receive free or reduced lunches will get help on the weekends as well.

The Blessings in a Backpack program will provide a backpack filled with enough food for three meals per day each weekend. Backpacks typically consist of nonperishable and easy-to-prepare items, such as macaroni and cheese, canned soup or cereal.

Trustee is the committee chairwoman for Wyandotte’s Blessings in a Backpack program. She said she discovered the nonprofit after reading about how Miley Cyrus, one of her daughter's favorite pop singers, was involved with the organization.

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“I went to (the Blessings in a Backpack) website and said, 'This is something that Wyandotte could definitely use,'" Browning said.

The program will pilot at Garfield because it has 281 eligible students, the most of any school in the district, Browning said. Eventually, she said, she hopes the program will expand districtwide.

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More than half the students throughout the district qualify for free or reduced lunches, according to Cheryl Whitton, chairperson of the Michigan Blessings in a Backpack Committee. Of the 4,795 students in Wyandotte, she said, 2,446 would be eligible for a backpack.

The nationwide program feeds 37,600 children in 216 schools in 32 states, according to its website.

Getting weekend meals to needy children has proven to boost test scores, reduce behavioral problems and increase attention span, Browning said.

“By eliminating the risk factor of hunger, students are better able to prepare for their future by having the same opportunities as their peers,” she said.

Wyandotte Public Schools Superintendent Patricia Cole said the program is a great addition to the many benefits already offered in the district.

“The economic downturn has placed families in crisis situation and the Wyandotte School District has stepped forward to help the welfare of all their students by embracing this project,” Cole said.

Money for the project, which costs $2.30 per backpack of food, comes from fundraising and donations, Browning said.

The district is finalizing a partnership with Meijer, which will provide food at wholesale cost, Browning said. 

After Garfield is fully covered, the plan is to immediately expand the program to , which has the second highest number of eligible children.

“I see it being very successful,” Browning said. “Hopefully by the end of next (school) year, we will have another school up and running.” 

Browning first announced the program was coming to Wyandotte during a school board candidates night in March. When resident Andrea Fuller , she sprang into action.

Fuller had been trying to locate a charity to help a needy child in the district, but couldn't find one that matched the specific needs of that child. After hearing Browning talk about Blessings in a Backpack, Fuller said that was exactly the type of assistance she was trying to find.

"Once I knew the details, I knew this was finally the right fit for the child I set out to help," Fuller said. "(I'm) very much hoping we can bring this program to fruition and it reaches all the schools in our city."

To help with that, Fuller and other volunteers have formed a steering committee and plan to begin soliciting Wyandotte businesses for sponsorships.

"We are so hoping Wyandotte businesses see the value in investing in this cause," Fuller said. "They are our kids, our future leaders and city residents. What better investment is there?"

To donate to Wyandotte’s Blessings in a Backpack, visit blessingsinabackpackmi.org, call the North Woodward Community Foundation at 734-740-7600 or contact Browning at 734-283-5670.

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