Food and Food Drives

Food drives provide nearly one-third of the food we distribute annually. Help us continue to meet the needs of people in the community by learning more about hosting a food drive.

Please drop off all non-parishable food itesm to:

Great Plains Food Bank

Attention: Madison Backpack Program

1720 3rd Avenue North

Fargo, ND 58102-4254

If you have any questions please contact Missy @ (701) 232-6219

Donate

One in six Americans is fighting hunger, and we need your help to join us in the fight to end this national struggle.

Whether you are an individual who wants to help or a company looking to make a partnership, you can be sure your donations are always used efficiently, safely and effectively to help those in need.

Please contact Ashly at 701.446.5122

Mail your donations to:
SENDCAA

Attention Gail Bollinger

3233 South University Dr.

Fargo, ND 58104

Working Poor

One of the most common misconceptions is the assumption that if someone is hungry, that means they do not have a job and are living on the streets. What most people don’t understand is that anyone can experience hunger. It is a silent epidemic that affects more than 49 million Americans.

According to the US Census Bureau, in 2008, 19 million people lived in working-poor families. In fact, 36 percent of client households served by the Feeding America network have one or more adults working.

-Female-headed households were more than twice as likely to be among the working poor than male-headed households in 2007.

-Married-couple families with children under 18 were almost 5 times as likely as families without children to be among the working poor in 2007.

-Thirty-nine percent of all adult clients served by Feeding America have completed high school or equivalent degree with no further education beyond high school.

-Thirty-four percent of all client households served by Feeding America have had to choose between paying for food and paying for medicine or medical care.

-In 2002, 1 in 4 low-income families with one full-time, full-year worker was food insecure and housing insecure.

HUNGER 101

In many ways, America is the land of plenty. But for 1 in 6 Americans, hunger is a reality. Many people believe that the problems associated with hunger are confined to small pockets of society, certain areas of the country, or certain neighborhoods, but the reality is much different.

Right now, millions of Americans are struggling with hunger. We all know and are in contact with people affected by hunger, even though we might not be aware of it.

These are often hard-working adults who simply cannot make ends meet and are forced to go without food for several meals, or even days. Most of us simply have no idea. It’s time to educate ourselves about America’s hunger problem.

About Performance Pack

Performance Packs

-Bags are filled with food that children take home on weekends.

-Food is child-friendly, nonperishable and easily consumed.

-Backpacks are discreetly distributed to children on the last day before the weekend or holiday vacation

Performance Pack Concepts

The Performance Pack Program concept was developed at Madison Elementary in Fargo, North Dakota after a special education teacher asked for help because her students were coming to her hungry which was affecting their academic performance. With the help of a grant from the North Dakota Department of Commerce and the local food bank she began to provide the students with groceries in to carry home every Friday.

Performance Packs

There are children in Fargo, North Dakota that rely on resources such as free or reduced lunch during the school year. Performance Packs are designed to meet the needs of hungry children at times when other resources are not available, such as weekends and school vacations.

Partners

Individual Donations:

Fargo Public School Foundation
Harold and Dorothy Madson

Lindsey and Kristi Haugen
West Fargo, North Dakota

North Dakota Department of Commerce

United Way

Gate City Bank

Partners:

SENDCAA
Fargo, North Dakota

Junior League of Fargo-Moorhead

Fargo North Key Club

Fargo North Special Education Students

In the News

WDAY: http://www.wday.com/event/videos/vidid/12241/

Financial Support

Since we are able to purchase food at a reduced rate, your donation of just $225 will provide a bag of food to one child and their family each weekend for the entire school year! All donations are tax deductible and you will receive a tax exempt letter.

Please send all donations to:

SENDCAA

Attention: Gail Bollinger

3233 S. University Drive

Fargo, ND 58104

In the memo area of your check please note: MADISON BACKPACK PROGRAM

Success Stories

"Now my family can survive." -5th grade student

"My mom has no money-you just saved us." -1st grade student

"We have food for our family!" -3rd grade student

"These kids open their lockers and it's like Christmas Day." -2nd grade teacher

"I just wanted to thank you...I appreciate it very much." -parent
"Why are you crying mom?" -5th grade student

Our Impact

The difference in academics, school attendance, behavior, and health between a well nourished child and a hungry child is profound. Madison Elementary reports an overall increase in academics by students participating in the Performance Pack Program. These types of increase are not isolated. Performance Packs is making a measurable difference at Madison Elementary. If you'd like to make a difference please call 701.446.5122 or email Ashly at bombena@fargo.k12.nd.us.

Contacts

Ashly Bombenger
Founder of Performance Pack Program
Madison Elementary Special Education Teacher
phone: 701.446.5122
e-mail: bombena@fargo.k12.nd.us

Gail Bollinger
Community Action Agency
SENDCAA
GailB@sendcaa.org

Denise Mullen
Community Action Agency
SENDCAA
DeniseM@sendcaa.org

Melissa Sobolik
Great Plains Food Bank
msobolik@Issnd.org

Hunger Statistics

One out of every six children in the United States is at risk of hunger.

Childhood hunger can lead to a weaker immune system and increased hospitalization.

Poor nutrition early in life can impair neural development, leading to a lower IQ.

Over 60% of children in the U.S. Public School System are on Free and Reduced Meal Program.

Unmet nutritional needs makes it very difficult for children to learn, pay attention in class and behave properly to retain what they learn.

Data shows that hungry children are sick more often, and have lower academic achievements.

*Data researched through reports published by the USDA.org and FRAC.org

Program Location

The Performance Pack Program was founded in October 2009 and was started with a $16,000 grant from the state of North Dakota. The program was put into place December 2009 and currently serves 50 students in Fargo, North Dakota at Madison Elementary (Head Start through 5th Grade). Grants and donations will be needed to sustain the program into the 2010-1011 school year.

Hunger Doesn't Take the Weekends Off

Performance Packs is a unique program designed to feed elementary children who's families qualify for the free and reduced lunch program, who may not have enough food on the weekends. Better test scores, reading skills, positive behavior, improved health, and increased attendance have all contributed to the success of this program.

$225 feeds a child and their family for the entire year. Every Friday 5o students receive a bag of food with little to no preparation that considered "kid friendly." They then return their bags on Monday ready to learn.

Performance Packs is a non-profit program with a public partnership carried out in the Fargo Public Schools.

Join the battle against childhood hunger and improve education success!
With your help, you can reach more students. To donate please call Ashly @ 701.446.5122.