SANFORD, Maine — Food insecurity impacts Mainers of all ages.
Fifteen years ago, a school nurse in Sanford noticed some students were coming to school Mondays with headaches and stomachaches. The reason wasn't related to illness but hunger.
That inspired the creation of the Sanford Backpack Program.
The backpack program is administered by Strategies for a Stronger Sanford, a nonprofit organization that, through several initiatives, works to build a strong future for the community.
"There are people that aren’t aware that [kids] struggle with food insecurity for many different reasons," Ayn Hanselmann, an advisory board member of the program said.
Students in schools across the district can take a backpack home for the weekend to ensure they have enough food.
Hanselmann said the program also allows students to know that there is a stable supply of food available for them. As a result, she said, they come to school more engaged and energized on Mondays. It's also important, she added, to meet the students where they are so they don't have to travel to pantries or other food distribution centers.
Another focus for these volunteers is to ensure students can focus more on learning and behavioral growth and worry less about where and when their next meal will come from.
Each bag costs about $7 to fill with fresh food and nonperishable items. Good Shepherd Food Bank delivers fresh produce weekly.
This year, the same volunteers and community members behind the backpack program opened a "Spart Mart" pantry at Sanford High School. It's named after the school's Spartan mascot.
Canned food, Macaroni and cheese, fresh fruit, milk, personal hygiene products, and more are available for any students to take.
"This really helps to alleviate that stigma that goes with food insecurity and youth hunger," Program Administrator Lori Williams said. “It feels good to have them picking their own foods and choosing what they want."
Allowing high school students to make those choices is important, Williams and Hanselmann said. That way they can grab ingredients to cook meals for younger siblings or take items they know other family members like.
“It’s more like the power of choice, not a handout, taking what you are given," Williams added.
The backpack program and school-based market, styled like a farmers market, wouldn't be possible without collaboration between school leaders, community members, volunteers, parents, and local businesses, Hanselmann added.
Even a $1 donation can make a real difference for students in need, Hanselmann said. The organization is hosting its annual "Chocolate Benefit Spectacular" to fundraise for the program. It will be held at Sanford Memorial Gymnasium on May 18. You can find more details here.