The BackPack Program is designed to meet the nutritional needs of food insecure, elementary-age students on weekends when free school meals aren’t available. The program currently delivers 75 backpacks filled with child-friendly, convenient, nutritious foods to participating schools every Thursday for the duration of the school year. 

At the beginning of each school year, we contact the elementary school social workers at participating schools and ask them to identify students who may be food insecure. Letters are sent home to the parents asking if they would like to participate in the program. This year, demand is at an all-time high and we are currently providing an unprecedented 75-90 backpacks over 35 weeks with the makings of 6 meals each (15,750 meals).

In addition to shelf-stable food purchased through the Food Bank, Common Ground Farm contributes our own organically-grown produce to the backpacks and purchases fresh fruits and vegetables from other local farms.We include milk + egg vouchers so that families can obtain these perishable items directly from the store for free. We issue Greens4Greens coupons, which allow families to stretch their dollars at the Beacon Farmers' Market (held every Sunday).

Through generous donations from individuals and organizations such as The United Way and the school PTOs, we provide a full Harvest Share of vegetables to each participating student at Thanksgiving. 

We respond dynamically to the needs of BackPack Program participants. We promote online and paper surveys and measure the program's success through responses as well as direct feedback given to the school social workers from participating students and parents.

The Common Ground BackPack Program is made possible by the Redl Family Foundation, United Way of the Dutchess Orange Region, The Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley Jeannette F. Schlobach Program, and the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley.