Backpack Buddies offers summer vacation food distribution for hungry children

Every week during the school year, the all-volunteer Douglas County Backpack Buddies Consortium provided food to more than 150 needy students in four area elementary schools.

The students, who might otherwise have gone hungry on Saturdays and Sundays, took home backpacks filled with food every Friday. Now, many of these children take advantage of the consortium's new summer food program.

When school is out for summer vacation, the same qualifying children are able to pick up enough food for a week at distributions held at two parks in Douglas County with the help of a Valley charitable organization.

Nancy Stiles, one of the consortium's members, has made presentations to several organizations in Carson Valley in the past few months to raise awareness of hungry children in the community. Most recently she spoke at a Nevada Rural Democratic Caucus meeting in Fallon.

Backpack Buddies members coordinate with officials at the four schools involved. "Needy children are referred by school counselors and nurses for the weekend food program," she said.

Carson Valley churches and community organizations, Lira's and Trader Joe's markets and GE employees are among the many residents and businesses to donate food or cash to Backpack Buddies.

Donations can be made by calling Stiles at 783-0562 or Lin Larson, 267-6737.