Northern Illinois Food Bank’s Backpack Program helps children get the nutritious food they need when Federal school meals are not available. The Food Bank provides weekend backpacks full of extra meals for students and their siblings. This is especially critical now as the number of children experiencing food insecurity in the United States increased by 44% in 2022 according to a report released by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
One of those children is Noel, a second grader we met at a Backpack Program site in Northern Illinois. His mom, Danielle, bravely shared her family’s financial struggles and worries about food insecurity with us. “I’ve cried,” she said, adding, “There were times my kids were hungry, and we had nothing to eat at home. We hoped that they would go to bed early and fall asleep to forget about their hunger.”
Danielle shares her home with her husband, her son Noel, her preschool-aged daughter, and a friend, whom she is caring for while undergoing medical treatments. To help ease the stress of having enough food to feed her household of five, Danielle inquired about the backpack program after reading about it in a community newsletter.
“At first, I was shy about asking because I didn’t know what the school would think about us,” she said. “I’ve felt embarrassed by my situation and don’t want to be seen as helpless.” Setting those feelings aside, she said the program has brought some much-needed relief.
“My son bringing home the backpack with food makes me feel relieved knowing that we will have food for the kids during the weekend,” Danielle said.
With a smile, Noel added, “The food makes me happy!”
With the high cost of childcare, Danielle can only work part-time (at her son’s school) while her kids are in school. Her husband is a landscaper, but with the seasonal nature of his work, when demand declines, he picks up extra work clearing snow and ice during the winter months.
“Sometimes we have to swallow our pride for our little ones,” she said. “All they know is that they have to eat.” Accepting help during a tough time to meet her children’s needs erased any embarrassment Danielle initially felt.
To the Northern Illinois Food Bank’s volunteers and donors who support the BackPack Program and other vital community resources, Danielle extended her gratitude. “Thank you for helping our kids. If the kids are hungry and need to eat, they don’t have to worry because they have food at home.”
