Romeoville School Fights Weekend Hunger with Free Grocery Bags

A local school in Romeoville is helping families put food on the table through a weekly food program. Kenneth L. Hermansen Elementary distributes bags of groceries to students in need, ensuring they have meals over the weekend. The initiative is part of the Northern Illinois Food Bank's Backpack Program, which supports children facing food insecurity across the region. Every Friday, social worker Mariah Lopez organises and packs food bags at Hermansen Elementary. The discreetly handed-out supplies contain enough for ten meals, weighing around 12 pounds. Families like Leilani's rely on these provisions to get through the weekend.

Leilani's mother, Thelma, is currently between jobs. She balances food pantries, SNAP benefits, and the Backpack Program to feed her family. The weekly bags help stretch her grocery budget when money is tight. The Northern Illinois Food Bank runs the Backpack Program in 190 schools across the area. It aims to ease hunger not just for students but for their entire households. During longer school breaks and holidays, the charity boosts food provisions to meet the increased need. Donations from campaigns like Feed the Love keep the program running. Community support ensures children and families continue receiving essential meals.

The Backpack Program provides vital food assistance to struggling families in Northern Illinois. With 190 schools participating, it helps bridge the gap when free school meals are unavailable. Those wishing to contribute can support the Northern Illinois Food Bank to expand these efforts further.