Monthly Newsletter | September 2022 |
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On Wednesday, September 28, the Biden-Harris Administration will host the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. The goal is to end hunger and increase healthy eating and physical activity by 2030 so that fewer Americans experience diet-related diseases like diabetes, obesity, and hypertension.
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Over 13 million American children each year face food insecurity — that's one in six children who struggle with access to food daily. And unfortunately, hunger disproportionately impacts underserved communities. The current challenging economic times where working families now face rising food and transportation costs to access food have only exacerbated the issue, especially in many communities considered food deserts. In addition, the constant upheavals faced by the COVID-19 pandemic are still a reality for so many people.
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Over the summer, Blessings in a Backpack's leadership submitted input as part of the White House's preparation efforts for this conference. Volunteers from across the country provided testimonials highlighting the critical need that Blessings in a Backpack addresses for children over the weekend.
Our efforts truly impacted the White House — they invited Blessings in a Backpack to attend the conference in person! I am traveling to Washington, D.C., to represent Blessings in a Backpack and the children we serve and advocate for more awareness, partnerships, and resources to help close the weekend hunger gap for children.
We hope that having this crisis brought to light at the national level creates scrutiny and awareness of the issues at hand, followed by tangible action items resulting from the conference. The passionate Blessings in a Backpack team is ready to feed more kids across the country — all we need is the necessary funding and resources to activate our national solution to feed kids on the weekend!
It is a great honor to represent Blessings in a Backpack, which includes every volunteer, community and school partner, donor, and supporter — and be a voice for the millions of children struggling with food insecurity. Together, we will feed the kids this weekend.
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Erin Kerr
Chief Executive Officer
Blessings in a Backpack
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Upcoming Events:
September 29
Houston
October 1
Lake Oswego, Oregon
October 2
Frederick, Maryland
October 7
Mather, California
October 8
Boerne, Texas
October 10
Chicago
October 13
Waukesha, Wisconsin
November 5:
Floyd County, Indiana
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How Buffalo Bills Fans Tackled Childhood Hunger:
Sunday, October 2, will be the first time the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens have met on the gridiron since a January 2021 AFC playoff game that impacted Blessings in a Backpack in a BIG way.
That night, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson left the game with a concussion. In a show of ultimate sportsmanship, the Bills Mafia fan base jumped into action to support Lamar's favorite nonprofit, Blessings in a Backpack. Over 18,450 fans participated in the viral donation campaign, and $553,000 was raised to feed kids who might otherwise go hungry.
Because of this generosity, Blessings in a Backpack is:
- Feeding 420 kids at 10 Buffalo programs
- Feeding 701 kids at five Baltimore programs
- Feeding 520 kids at 12 Louisville programs
- Supporting programs in New York, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Florida.
- Making more than 137,000 hunger-free weekends a reality for children nationwide!
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We will never forget what the Bills Mafia (and other fans inspired by them) did that day, and we thank you from the bottom of our backpacks.
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Justin Thomas Funds Weekend Meals For Hometown School
2022 PGA Championship Winner Justin Thomas and his organization, the Justin Thomas Foundation, have recently donated funds to feed an entire school through Blessings in a Backpack — a national nonprofit that feeds food-insecure kids on the weekends.
Read more
www.blessingsinabackpack.org
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The Baltimore Orioles Strike Out Hunger!
On September 21, Orioles players, manager Brandon Hyde, and coaching staff packed 750 bags of food to feed children on the weekends at the Boys and Girls Club of Metropolitan Baltimore.
Read more
www.blessingsinabackpack.org
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Remembering Jay Milton: The Man Behind the Boerne 0.5K
Last year we lost Jay Milton, the brains and wit behind the Boerne 0.5K, billed as the world's shortest road race. His legacy will live on, not only through the humor of 0.5K - which takes place October 8, 2022 - but through the Blessings mission.
Read more
www.blessingsinabackpack.org
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Help Us Win the Fan Vote For the Community Impact Award
Sept. 30 is the last chance to vote for Blessings in a Backpack to win the NWSL + Nationwide Community Impact Award! Voting is simple — go to Twitter, use #NationwideImpactAward and tag @RacingLouFC @BlessinBackpack. Click "Read more" for more info.
Read more
www.blessingsinabackpack.org
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Pharmacosmos Therapeutics Combines Passion and Purpose
At the Pharmacosmos Therapeutics National Sales Meeting in Denver, employees packed 1,000 bags of food and hygiene products for children and families displaced by the region's wildfires earlier this year.
Read more
www.blessingsinabackpack.org
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Reflects giving from April 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022: |
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$75,000 to $99,999
FedEx
$50,000 to $74,999
Community Foundation of Greater Rochester
Mary Ruth's
New Albany Floyd County Education Foundation, Inc.
$25,000 to $49,999
Connexus Credit Union
Fabletics
Fifth Third Bank
Hofstetter Family Foundation, Inc.
Kahlert Foundation, Inc.
Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government
Robert R. McCormick Foundation
Gerald and Jacqueline Nichols Foundation
Power Crunch
PriceWeber
Sysco Corporation
UPS-Jacksonville Employees
$15,000 to $24,999
Bank of America
Champion Foodservice
Cigna Foundation
General Motors Foundation
League Club, Inc.
Nemours Children’s Health
Paylocity
Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation
Wildcat Run Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Zurich American Insurance Company
$10,000 to $14,999
ACRFB
Community Foundation for Northeast Florida
Compass Consulting Group, LLC
CONRIC PR & Marketing
Cummins Engine Plant
Donne Di Domani
William G. Gilmore Foundation
Inspire Brands Foundation
Barbara Kunci
Locke Lord LLP
Mauser Packaging Solutions
Maximus Foundation
Meijer, Inc.
Mondelez International
Perfection Foundation Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation
RBC Capital Markets, LLC
Reach, Inc.
Steven Painter
Texas Capital Bank
Texas Roadhouse Holdings, LLC
Thomson Reuters
United Way of Lee County
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