American Mothers of Utah will be working with organizations that provide food over the weekends for school-age children.
According to the Utah Office of Education, 34.7% of all Utah schoolchildren were enrolled in free or reduced school meal programs in 2017. If a district had 42% on meal programs, that would be around 20,000 children. These programs are targeted towards community children who depend on receiving breakfast and lunch at their schools each day, but may be going without proper nutrition on the weekends.
WHAT ARE PANTRY PACKS?
Pantry packs are prepackaged, gallon-sized zip lock bags with specific, easily purchased items which can be collected and assembled anywhere. The packs contain six meals and four snacks. Once assembled, the packs are then taken to the organization for distribution to local schools.
LEARN MORE ABOUT PANTRY / BACK PACK PROJECTS
Video about the Back Pack program in Cache Valley. The general information is similar for all areas.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Organizations in Utah County, Ogden & Weber Counties, and Cache County have been contacted so we already have information with what is needed and the drop off points. American Mothers of Utah would like to encourage groups of mothers to get together and prepare these packs, then let us know how many your group has provided. This will help us get the word out that mothers throughout Utah are working together to serve children and families. Can you help us?
- Bring a completed pantry pack or one type of food to each American Mothers of Utah event.
- Get together with other mothers for a service project, each one bringing a case of food, then assembling the pantry packs.-
- Send a text to 801-822-2460 with your name, the number of pantry packs delivered and which organization received them.-
Each organization has guidelines that should be followed as you are working with them. There are certain foods and specific ways to pack the foods into the gallon bag. Please review the directions outlined by each organization, whether you are preparing the packs by yourself or with a group. Thank you for your help in supporting the children of Utah.
The organizations that American Mothers of Utah are currently working with are:
- Cache County – Food Pantry Back Pack Program
- Davis / Weber Counties – Catholic Community Services Bridging the Gap
- Utah County – FIVE.12 Foundation
Below is general information taken from one organization pamphlet. Be sure to use the guidelines from the above organization that you will be working with. Also, remember to text or call 801-822-2460 with your name, the number of pack delivered, and which organization received them.
The information provided below is a sample of what one organization has outlined in their pamphlet. Be sure to follow the specific guidelines provided by the organization in your county. If your county is not listed, contact us and we’ll help you find one in your area.
