COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — A nonprofit organization providing weekend meals to hungry children in Coeur d’Alene faces mounting pressure as demand for its services continues to surge.
The CDA Backpack Program feeds more than 700 kids each week across the Coeur d’Alene School District, delivering discreet bags of shelf-stable food that students can take home on Fridays when free school meals aren’t available over the weekend.
The program has experienced dramatic growth over the past three years, with volunteers reporting that the number of children they serve has more than doubled during that period.
“It is crazy how high our numbers are, but they are so we need to do something about it,” said Sarah Bradbury, president of the program.
The rising demand reflects broader food insecurity challenges in the district, where 35.5 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch according to school district data.
Founded in 2010, the CDA Backpack Program operates through a network of volunteers who work with school counselors to identify students in need. Each week, volunteers pack bags with food items and deliver them in their personal vehicles to schools throughout the district.
Elise Smith, one of the program’s drivers, loads her minivan weekly to make deliveries to a local middle school. She began volunteering after witnessing food insecurity in her own children’s schools.
“I have even had my own kids come home and say mom can I put an extra juice box in my lunch this week,” Smith said. “The fact that kids don’t have food over the weekends, it just breaks my heart.”
The bags are designed to not draw attention, due to the stigma around reliance on the program. Volunteers said for many children, these weekend food packages represent their only guaranteed meals between Friday afternoon and Monday morning.
The program’s growth has created new challenges for organizers. Bradbury acknowledged that the organization has not yet had to turn children away, but warned that could change soon.
Smith expressed concern that even more children could benefit from the program’s services.
“I am sure there are other kids that we haven’t found or pinpointed that could benefit from it,” she said.
The organization relies on community support to maintain its operations. Some ways to support include sponsoring a child for approximately $20 per month, make one-time donations, or sponsor an entire school. You can find other ways to help here.
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