Hannah Penn students write to Rutter's
Backpack Program appreciated
Home » News » Rutters and Backpack Program
By Hollie Walkley
Hannah Penn teacher Rebecca Aikins-Rice recently asked her students to share their feelings about the Backpack Program with the Rutter's family. Aikins-Rice also put her thoughts into a page-long letter that reads, in part, " Even with the most up to date strategies and materials, our children can not reach their full potential if they are hungry."
She adds, "Your caring and support help one hundred students have food for the weekend. These students might otherwise not be fed. Your help sustains them both physically and emotionally. The foods you provide stop hunger pains and help children grow. It also gives them an emotional boost when they realize that there are people, who do not even know them, who care about their well-being."
The Backpack Program concept was developed at the Arkansas Rice Depot in Little Rock after a school nurse asked for help because hungry students were coming to her with stomach aches and dizziness when returning to school on Monday mornings.
Rutter's underwrote costs for the Backpack Program for the 2009/2010 school year. Rutters' support provided enough food for six meals and two healthy snacks for 100 children. The food is child-friendly, nonperishable, easily consumed, and vitamin fortified.
Thank you Rutter's Family for making a difference in the lives of hungry children!
