Food insecurity in families can be especially devastating.  Inadequate nutrition impacts early brain development, increases the potential for learning gaps and emotional disabilities in children and contributes to stress and instability in families.  Toni’s Kitchen provides backpacks filled with healthy foods to families with food need.

We do this through community partnerships with tutoring programs, early childhood centers, school aftercare programs, and other partners who provide strong programs for families.  When children leave to go home, they take with them a backpack that looks like any other school backpack.  Inside, they find healthy items such as oatmeal, tuna, peanut butter, raisins, rice, beans, etc.  Empty backpacks are returned each week and a freshly packed one goes home again.  For some programs, we provide a second weekly backpack that is filled with fresh fruits and vegetables.

You can donate directly to our Healthy Backpack program.  Go to the donation page on our website at: https://4agc.com/donation_pages/057d0c3a-22c0-4e3c-b1fa-0c33e1da1b3a.  Then, under “Gift Designation,” choose “Healthy Backpack Program.”