With first day of school in the offing for many, the nonprofit Weekend Backpacks Baltimore is partnering with Heritage|MileOne Autogroup to help feed the city’s schoolchildren.
Weekend Backpacks Baltimore gives bags of nutritious food to Baltimore City schoolchildren and their families who are facing food insecurity. The nonprofit has received the largest corporate gift and engagement in its 10-year history through its new partnership with Heritage|MileOne Autogroup. When the school year begins, the partnership will help give nutritious weekend meals to families during the first month of school.
Heritage|MileOne Autogroup will invest $80,000 to fund the entire month of Weekend Backpacks Baltimore’s food bag program. The donation will provide 8,000 bags, each containing enough food for a family of three for the weekend. This will impact an estimated 24,000 people with approximately 144,000 nutritious meals throughout the critical first month of school.
Food insecurity directly impacts the ability of a child to succeed at school, with reading and mathematical skills of food insecure students entering kindergarten developing significantly more slowly than other students. Hunger makes it more difficult for children to concentrate, prepare, and behave. The Heritage|MileOne Autogroup investment will help thousands of Baltimore City schoolchildren return to school nourished, focused, and ready to learn while easing financial burdens on families.
In addition, Heritage|MileOne Autogroup employees and leadership will volunteer their time to help at assembly-line-style food packing events at dealerships across the Baltimore metropolitan area to pack the 10-pound weekend food bags. The bags will then be brought to participating Baltimore City schools to be given to students before the weekend.
Amanda Kodeck is chief giving officer for MileOne Autogroup. She stressed the importance of local companies supporting children, families, and empowering students, describing food insecurity as a “roadblock” to learning.
“The partnership with Weekend Backpacks Baltimore is one example of the many ways MileOne Autogroup supports nonprofits through our MileOneCares philanthropic program,” Kodeck said. “We believe in supporting not only the communities we serve, but also the communities we call home. Through this effort, we are providing nutritious meals while helping families save approximately $50 in grocery costs that can go toward essentials such as transportation, clothing and school supplies.”
Fred Hassell is executive director of Weekend Backpacks Baltimore. He emphasized the financial stress for families the start of the school year brings.
“Through the support of Heritage | MileOne Autogroup and its employees, we can continue providing reliable weekend food resources to families and help remove one more barrier for students as they work toward a successful school year” Hassell said. “The start of the school year can be a particularly challenging time for families as they manage increased expenses for school supplies, clothing, shoes and other necessities. With rising food costs adding to those challenges, reliable access to nutritious weekend meals can provide critical support for children and their families.”
