Did you know that more than 45 percent of Culver City Unified School District students receive free or reduced price lunches at their schools every day? For many students, this vital resource includes free breakfast. In some circumstances, healthy, reliable meals on the weekends are not a guarantee.
Since 2013, the CCUSD Backpacks for Kids program has been serving students at all CCUSD school sites, serving more than 10,000 meals to students throughout the year.
The program’s annual food drive will kick off on November 3, encouraging the public – both individuals and companies – to donate foodstuffs that can be packed into backpacks and sent home with students.
“This has been an incredibly successful program that has targeted an important basic need for our students and their families,” said CCUSD Superintendent Dave LaRose. “As we all know, healthy meals are vital for student growth, development and learning. The absence of nutrition on the weekend creates challenges for our children, families and those who serve them in our schools.”
The CCUSD Backpacks for Kids Program provides food to CCUSD students who may not have access to healthy food during the weekend. Parents and staff work together to identify students in need. Parents and student volunteers at one CCUSD location on Thursdays and fill the backpacks. The backpacks will be delivered every Friday to each school for these students to take home anonymously.
Parents, students and community volunteers run the program. Our school families and community members provide pre-packaged, nonperishable foods through school food drives and other donations. Tax-deductible donations are also being accepted to fill the gap between the need and the food donations.
For the second year in a row, CCUSD’s traditional Holiday Food Drives done at individual schools sites will be partnering for this worthy cause – supporting the children who attend our family of schools.
Throughout the weeks leading up to winter recess, each school site will be collecting a specific item for the backpacks: La Ballona Elementary School, macaroni and cheese and Cup o’ Noodles; El Marino Language School, peanut butter (plastic jars, 12 or 16 ounce plastic jars); Linwood E. Howe Elementary School, granola and cereal bars; El Rincon Elementary School, pudding cups; Farragut Elementary School, fruit cups (in individual serving containers); Culver City High School, cereal (in individual serving containers) and oatmeal (in individual serving packets); Culver City Middle School, canned beef stew, ravioli or Vienna sausages (in pop-top cans); and Office of Child Development, wrapped rolls of crackers (eg. Ritz).
Donations of any of these items can be dropped off at the CCUSD District Office (4034 Irving Place) or at the main office of any CCUSD school site.
Persons interested in volunteering and/or make a direct donation, please contact the program at CCBackpacksforKids@gmail.com.
The CCUSD Backpacks for Kids program has been made possible though the generous donations of the following organizations and individuals: Jason and Lois Frand, Flanigan Farms, Culver City Lions Club, Culver City Exchange Club, Mark Weiss, Marlene Winston, Martin Weiss, Culver City PTAs, Delta Kappa Gamma, Willows Community School, Culver City Symphony Orchestra, The Culver Studios, Jerry Chabola and Culver City Exchange Club.