SWFL nonprofit feeds school children in need, combating food insecurity

Erica Van Buren, Fort Myers News-Press
·4 min read
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Cecilia St. Arnold, the Executive Director of Blessings in a Backpack of SWFL, and Yasmin Gallo, right, the Tice Elementary Program Coordinator show the boxes of food to be distributed to Tice Elementary School students on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, in Fort Myers.
Cecilia St. Arnold, the Executive Director of Blessings in a Backpack of SWFL, and Yasmin Gallo, right, the Tice Elementary Program Coordinator show the boxes of food to be distributed to Tice Elementary School students on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, in Fort Myers.

Blessings in a Backpack of SWFL recently added four more schools to their roster in an effort to continue the fight against food insecurity.

“We're a national organization feeding 100,000 children,” said Cecilia St. Arnold, executive director of Blessings in a Backpack of SWFL. “We supplement the free breakfast, lunch program on weekends. We target Title 1 elementary school students. We are feeding over 6,700 children in four counties. Our biggest is Lee and Collier. We've just entered Henry and Glades County this year.”

Spring Creek Elementary in Bonita Springs, Central Elementary in Clewiston, Moore Haven Elementary in Moore Haven, and Pinecrest Elementary in Immokalee are now on the list.

Title I provides additional resources to schools with economically disadvantaged students. These include additional teachers, professional development, extra time for teaching, parent involvement activities and other activities designed to raise student achievement.

St. Arnold said the pre-K through 5th grade students receive two meals for breakfast and two meals for lunch.

“We work with an FDA food provider,” said St. Arnold. “Everything that we provide is shelf stable so nothing needs to be refrigerated. Everything is healthy and nutritious, so what they're getting is what their bodies need for strong brain and bone development versus just filler type foods. This year we added shelf stable fruit yogurts. And what I love is that it's kid friendly, so the kids can open it up and eat it. We don't want the kids trying to use the stove to cook.”

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St. Arnold said they rotate the menu so the kids don't get the same food every week. The kids get snacks like sunflower seeds, graham cracker bites, cheese and chicken bites.

The nonprofit takes in consideration when selecting the menu items nutritional value, ease of opening, portion size, shelf life, and variety.

Since many of the children may not have access to working appliances or a can opener, the menus contain foods that can be eaten – and are reasonably appealing – direct from the package and are peanut free. Emphasis is placed on maximizing proteins, fibers, and nutrients while minimizing processed sugars.

Thousands of children in the Lee County School District go home with a bag of food over the weekend thanks to the non-profit, Blessings in a Backpack. The latest package included fortified cereals, snacks, chicken bites, juice and cheese.
Thousands of children in the Lee County School District go home with a bag of food over the weekend thanks to the non-profit, Blessings in a Backpack. The latest package included fortified cereals, snacks, chicken bites, juice and cheese.

“Right now in Southwest Florida we're at 31 program sites,” said St. Arnold. “Most of the program sites are schools. We work with the Children's Advocacy Center with their after school program. I work with Interfaith Charities during the summer months and holidays because they do the FDA feeding program. One in four are deemed food insufficient right here in southwest Florida. In Lee County, we have over 48,000 children in elementary schools, and 56% of them are economically disadvantaged. And the numbers are just a little bit higher in Collier County.”

St. Arnold said there are many benefits to this program.

“We have found that children that come to school hungry are going to be likely to have discipline problems,” said St. Arnold. “They fall asleep in school. They're of course not learning to their full potential and there's also a high absentee rate. If you talk to a school their highest absentee days are either Mondays or Fridays. But the kids are here on Fridays, because they're all going to get the food and the parents know that. So that cuts down absentee rates.”

St. Arnold said the funding for the program is provided by private donations, grants and foundations.

“So many people write a check to a charity and they don't know where that dollar is going,” said St. Arnold. “I have donors that live in Naples and donate to kids in Cape Coral. Our donor dollars feed local kids.”

Yasmin Gallo is the program coordinator at Tice elementary school.

Yasmin Gallo, the Tice Elementary Program Coordinator for Blessings in a Backpack, shows what is in the boxes of food to be distributed to Tice Elementary School students on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, in Fort Myers.
Yasmin Gallo, the Tice Elementary Program Coordinator for Blessings in a Backpack, shows what is in the boxes of food to be distributed to Tice Elementary School students on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, in Fort Myers.

“I receive and distribute the meals,” said Gallo. “I love my job because I'm able to help the community. I help the families in need not just with food but other resources.”

For more information or to donate visit the website https://swfl.blessingsinabackpack.org/

Erica Van Buren is the underserved communities reporter for The News-Press and Naples Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at EVanBuren@gannett.com or on Twitter: @EricaVanBuren32

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Blessings in a Backpack of SWFL gives meals to students each weekend