That's the gap the Geneva-based Northern Illinois Food Bank (NIFB) is determined to close.
The NIFB's Backpack Program provides students at 190 participating schools across the region with food to take home each Friday. Their backpacks are filled with 12 pounds of food - enough for ten meals.
"No child has to wonder where their next meal is coming from," said Colleen Ahearn, Chief Philanthropy Officer at the Northern Illinois Food Bank. The program is designed not just to feed the student, but to relieve the burden on the entire family. "The idea is that a student can come home with their family and feed three other family members too."
A "Birthday Gift" Every Friday
At Kenneth L. Hermansen Elementary in Romeoville, the program is a vital support system for families like Leilani's. Five-year-old Leilani, who is non-verbal, eagerly anticipates the weekly delivery.
"Once we get the backpack, it's so exciting to see my daughter's face light up because she thinks she got a birthday gift," said Thelma, Leilani's mother. Thelma, currently between jobs, relies on a combination of food pantries, SNAP benefits, and the Backpack Program to ensure her family has enough to eat.
The resources from the weekly bags offer a crucial stretch for the family's grocery budget.
"They absolutely stretch most of our meals," Thelma explained. "When we create big, wholesome meals, we'll have leftovers where we'll be like, okay, well we have food for tomorrow as well."
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Discretion and Dignity
Hermanson social worker Mariah Lopez is responsible for coordinating and packing the bags each Friday.
"If our bellies are full, we're more prepared to learn and be able to focus in the classroom," Lopez said.
Lopez ensures the bags are distributed discreetly, understanding the sensitivity surrounding food assistance. "They might feel ashamed to want to be able to ask for help," she noted. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. We all have our hard times."
For parents like Thelma, the program provides a critical pathway to meeting their children's needs.
"When you're home and your stomach is growling, you're not going to look at your kid and be like, 'Oh, you suck it up.' You're going to try to figure out a way," Thelma said. "And with this program, it helps you figure out a way."
The Northern Illinois Food Bank ramps up its efforts during extended school closures, doubling the amount of food provided during holiday breaks when students miss many days of school meals.
The Backpack Program is supported by donations through campaigns like Feed the Love. To help support more programs that provide meals to food-insecure children across Northern Illinois, visit the Northern Illinois Food Bank.