Hunger

A gnawing feeling in the stomach.  Light-headedness.  Dizziness.  Headaches.  Lethargy or weakness.  Inability to concentrate.  A craving for food.  Pain.  All of these are associated with hunger.

Most of us can end the temporary experience of hunger. But more than 900,000 individuals in southeast Texas may not have that choice. They don’t know where their next meal is coming from. They’re called “food insecure.” And every day, an estimated 35,000 people are truly defined as “hungry,” men and women of all ages, and children - wrestling with these unwanted symptoms.

Quick Facts

• Half a million individuals need assistance with food each year in Houston and throughout southeast Texas
• Nearly 900,000 people live in poverty in the Houston - Metro area (15% of the population)
• One in four children in Harris County lives at or below poverty level
• Hungry families report they often must choose between paying for food and other necessities.
• Food vs. utilities - nearly 50 % 
• Food vs. rent or mortgage - 43% 
• Food vs. medicine or medical care - more than 1/3 
• Texas and New Mexico have the highest rates of child food insecurity in the nation.

Mission

Backpack Buddies provides nutritional meals and snacks to youth whose primary source of food is the school cafeteria.  By providing a backpack with food items to help sustain them until returning to school for a meal, their nutritional, mental and over all well-being needs are met.  With this program, we hope to reach children throughout the community and establish an effective outreach program to enrich the lives of children in need.  All children should have access to appropriate food and nutrition programs for securing a food supply that promotes physical, cognitive and social development.

The backpacks used in the program are similar to the everyday backpacks used at school campuses and no symbols are used to signify participants.  Backpacks are distributed to participating students on Friday afternoons just before going home.  It is the child’s responsibility to return the backpack at the beginning of each week. 

The success seen by participants in this program is astonishing!  Documentation and feedback from administrative staff, faculty, parents and children shows distinct improvements in many ways. 

WHY WE EXIST - Consequences of child hunger and malnutrition:

Health Consequences

• Lowered resistance to disease
• Higher frequency of headaches, colds, dizziness, stomachaches and ear infections
• Inhibited physical growth and unwanted weight loss
• Poor brain development

Behavior Consequences

• Higher levels of aggression, hyperactivity and anxiety
• Social problems, difficulty getting along with other children
• Emotional problems due to low self-esteem, stress and fatigue

Academic Consequences

• Impaired thinking and diminished learning capacity
• Lower test scores and poorer overall school achievement
• Increased school absences and tardiness

The backpacks are filled with child-friendly foods that are both nutritious and require little to no preparation, such as: cereal, shelf stable milk, granola bars, cereal bars, cheese crackers, peanut butter crackers, little sausages, baked beans, spaghettios, ravioli, canned soup, chili, fruit cups, dried fruit, pudding cups, trail mix, fruit roll-ups, juice, etc.

This program is available to the school district at no cost.  Funding comes from outside sources: private, corporate and governmental grants. 

By implementing Backpack Buddies into GCCISD, we are able to reach our underserved youth as well as promote community awareness of the rising poverty levels in Baytown.  Through our partnership, we’ve impacted the lives of children and provided the nutrition they need to learn, grow, play and live healthier lives.