The Weekend Snack Pack Program
Because Hunger Doesn’t Take the Weekend Off!
Download the Weekend Snack Pack Program Flyer
Download the Weekend Snack Pack Program Poster
Click to hear children talk about the CFA's Weekend Snack Pack Program
Parent_Information_Eng_Span_2012.pdf
Many children who receive free or reduced priced school meals are left without adequate nutrition on the weekend and holiday breaks.
The Center for Food Action’s Weekend Snack Pack Program (WSPP) is designed to fill this gap by providing healthy, kid-friendly, and easy to prepare snack foods to children at risk of hunger. The sealed snack packs will be discreetly distributed by the teachers three weekends a month.
When you host a WSPP food drive and/or collecting WSPP funds, you will be helping CFA give healthy weekend snacks to Bergen County children who are at risk of hunger.
Background:
The concept of a snack pack program originated over 10 years ago when a school nurse noticed that some of the students were arriving to school on Monday mornings with headaches, dizziness, stomach aches and fatigue. She noticed that these were the same students who were receiving free or reduced lunches. The nurse reached out to a local food pantry to organize a way to provide these students with nutritious weekend snacks.
Weekend Snack Pack:
The snack packs are delivered to 4 local elementary schools by CFA and the Rotary of the Palisades. The teachers discreetly place the snack packs into the student’s backpack when they are out of the classroom. Special emphasis will always be placed upon privacy.
Volunteers Are Essential to the Success of the Weekend Snack Pack Program:
The WSPP is part of CFA’s effort to reduce childhood hunger in our neighborhoods. CFA is reaching out for support from community groups, schools, businesses, foundations and faith based organizations.
Groups are needed to collect, sort and package the child friendly items to be put in the snack packs. There are volunteer opportunities for hands-on work and financial support. A group can contribute by helping with any, or all, of the following steps that, when completed, provide a child with healthy weekend snacks.
YOUR GROUP LEADER OR REPRESENTATIVE MUST SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO MEET WITH AN ENGLEWOOD STAFF MEMBER FOR THE SPECIFIC PACKING INSTRUCTIONS.
How Individuals and Groups Can Help:
For approximately $4.50 you can send a child home with
one weekend’s worth of healthy snack foods.
- For $22.50 you can help 5 children
- For $45.00 you can help 10 children
- For $225.00 you can help 50 children
- For $450.00 you can help 100 children
There are over 20,000 children in Bergen County who participate in the free or reduced-price school lunch program. Your donations will directly affect the number of children CFA’s Weekend Snack Pack Program can help.
Here’s How to Start:
Decide how many children your group would like to help and how often your group would like to do so.
Organize a weekend snack pack food drive to collect the specific food items (listed below) that make up the snack packs or organize a fundraising event to collect the money needed to purchase the specific food items. A weekend snack pack food drive flyer is available with the specific food items needed.
Select a location where your group can package the weekend snack packs into 1 gallon size plastic zip storage bags. Insert a parental snack pack information sheet into each package. Sheets will be provided by CFA. Contact CFA’s Irwin Vogelman at 201-321-3142 to arrange a delivery or pick-up time.
PLEASE REGISTER your food or fund drive by emailing Jennifer Rothman, at jrothman@cfanj.org, your name, contact information, food drive date, and the number of weekend snack packs you plan to prepare. Questions about the program are also welcome! You will receive a reply with materials that will help make your weekend snack pack food drive a huge success!
One Snack Pack Includes the Following Items:
- 2% milk box, 8 ounces, non-flavored, shelf stable
- Cold cereal, 1 ounce individual serving size box, no chocolate or nuts
- Fruit, 4 ounce can - peaches or mixed (no applesauce)
- 100% Juice box, 6.75 ounces, apple preferred
- Chicken with rice or ravioli, 7.25 ounces, microwaveable bowl, Chef Boyardee or similar
- Macaroni and cheese, 7.25 oz
- Nutri-Grain snack bar, 1.3 ounce, apple flavor, no chocolate or nuts
CFA is a 501(C)(3), non-profit, non-sectarian emergency services and homelessness prevention agency. In 2011 CFA distributed over 61,000 emergency food packages. CFA also provided over 1400 people with rental and utility assistance.
For more information about the Weekend Snack Pack Program, please contact: Jennifer Johnson-Rothman, CFA Director of Communications & Volunteers | jrothman@cfanj.org, 201-569-1804 x28