Serving Those Who Serve Our Country

Serving Those Who Serve Our Country

As highlighted in People Magazine’s 2012 article on Blessings in a Backpack, many military families face high-living costs and modest incomes; they find it difficult to provide food for their families. Blessings in a Backpack is helping these families serving our country.

At Doris Miller Elementary School in San Diego, California, Blessings in a Backpack feeds 650 students every weekend of the school year. Every child has at least one parent serving in the military and lives nearby in military housing. All 650 children qualify for federal free or reduced meal programs at the school. Unfortunately, many service men and women do not earn enough on their government wages to support their families and struggle to make ends meet.

Prior to his school partnering with Blessings in a Backpack, Principal Fred Hilgers told us a student was late for her crossing guard duties because she had not finished eating lunch. Because it was a Friday, she wanted to eat as much as possible; she did not know when she would eat next. Immediately, Hilgers and his staff saw the importance of providing the students with food to eat every weekend.

Hilgers said food from the Blessings program is one constant that the children look forward to every week. He told us of his students’ joy—joy in something that so many of us take for granted—as they walk away from school each Friday with a bag of food in hand.

“The children’s excitement each week is comparable to seeing a child open gifts on their birthday,” he said.

In addition to food-insecurity, Hilgers said his students face several stressors in their young lives. Every December and June, the school sees almost 200 children come and go because of military-base transfers. At any given time, children may have one or both parents serving overseas, and a relative is caring them for.

Blessings in a Backpack is a proud supporter of our troops and their families. Click here to donate to Doris Miller Elementary School or a Blessings in a Backpack program near you.