Working with the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, Decorah UCC serves the BackPack Program Host Partner for the Decorah area school system. The BackPack Program provides children experiencing food scarcity with backpacks filled with non-perishable, nutritious, kid-friendly, shelf-stable food to sustain them over weekends and school holidays. The food tides them over on Saturdays and Sundays, allowing them to return to school on Monday ready to learn.

How does it work? Northeast Iowa Food Bank provide boxes of BackPack sacks to Decorah UCC and volunteers deliver them to partner schools every week. Teachers and other school staff distribute the bags to kids in the program every Friday. It’s really that simple.

How do kids register to receive a backpack? Contact your school’s office to get registration materials for the program.

How can volunteers help? The main need currently for the program are volunteers to do backpack deliveries to area schools on Thursdays and Fridays. If you have an hour to volunteer on either of those days, contact the church office to be connected in.

Can food be donated to help the program? The program in Decorah can only accept donations of peanut butter. The peanut butter must be in plastic jars and the seal must be intact. Peanut Butter donations can be dropped off at the Decorah UCC office.