Campus Kitchen Launches Weekend Snack Program

Every Friday, over a third of the students at Natural Bridge Elementary in Rockbridge County, Va. go home from school with two backpacks - and it's not because they have extra homework to do.

Operators of the Campus Kitchen at Washington and Lee University (CKWLU) team up with Natural Bridge Elementary staff and load backpacks with nutritious snacks to send home with students for the weekend. The program, which began in December, could soon serve as a hunger relief model for all county schools, and inspire other campus kitchens.

"On any given week we're receiving over 1,000 pounds of food," said Jenny Sproul, coordinator at CKWLU. In November, CKWLU picked up around 5,000 pounds of fresh produce and packaged goods from the Lexington, Va. Wal-Mart.

The stockpile of goods that CKWLU accumulates (it also acts as the area's food bank) helped inspire the backpack program. Sproul says they gave out 105 backpacks at Natural Bridge Elementary during the first week of the program. Inside: canned ravioli, carrots, Juicy Juice, a large box of cereal, and a granola bar. She says she hopes the Campus Kitchen can eventually pack enough food to provide students with meals for the whole weekend.

"It shows that the community cares," said Natural Bridge Elementary Principal Matthew Crossman. "There are a lot of agencies that Jenny is working with so I think they all feel good about helping serve kids in the community."

One of those agencies donated over 250 backpacks to facilitate easier transport and distribution of the food. The George C. Marshall Foundation, which conducts educational, outreach, and U.S. Army leadership programs, gave away the packs that are usually used as an award for graduation from their programs.

Crossman said he assembled a "backpack team" among staff at Natural Bridge to receive the donation of backpacks and place them in student's lockers before the end of the school day. Children at Natural Bridge who receive free or reduced lunches are eligible for the program. Over 50 percent of the school's students accept free lunches.

"Of course, with the state of the economy, some people are getting laid off so they are starting to tighten up their belts," said Crossman. "The kids are pretty excited about it. The parents seem excited too."

Sproul has heard similar feedback. "For some it's probably a nice little bonus," she said. "For others, I'm sure it's the difference between eating or not."

(above, left to right) Kelsey Sizer, Shiri Yadlin, and Rosemary Kelley