Over 60,000 children are enrolled in the free/reduced price lunch programs in the South Jersey schools. Free or reduced school meals take care of hungry children's needs for daily nourishment for the school week. But on the weekends, they risk going hungry. Every Friday, the KidzPack program provides school-aged children with a backpack full of nutritionally balanced meals to sustain them over the weekend. These packs are carefully designed to allow children (with minimal supervision) to easily prepare the meals for themselves.

" This program is a godsend. With the current economic crunch, parents are stretching their dollars and need all the help they can get. This will allow our children to receive nutritional meals on a regular basis"

~ Sharon Woodridge, principal of Davis Elementary

Current KidzPack locations: Davis Elementary, Camden City and The Boys and Girls Club, Paulsboro. For information on how to help us ensure that no child in South Jersey stays hungry over the weekend, or on starting KidzPack in your area, contact Trawana Porter at tporter@foodbanksj.org or 856-662-4884 ext. 112.

Program Criteria

• Provide KidzPacks free of charge without any obligation
• The program site must be located within Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and/or Salem counties
• Provide verification from the local school district that 50% of the children served are eligible for the free or reduced lunch programs
• Show proof that the facility is in compliance with applicable federal and local ordinances and regulations
• Adhere to proper food storage and handling guidelines
• Comply with a predetermined schedule of Kidzpack delivery and distribution
• Identify and maintain a coordination team of at least three paid staff members