THE DISH SPRING 2026 BACKPACK MEAL PROGRAM FUELS STUDENTS ACROSS THE HEARTLAND “For kids who are missing meals, they come to school not ready to learn. They don’t have the energy to sustain themselves throug hout the day. It’s hard to concentrate with an empty stomach. Their brains just aren’t ready to be powered up and thinking ,” says Michelle
Schaffer, a first-grade teacher at Kreft Primary School in Council Bluffs. Right now, 1 in 5 children across the Heartland experiences food insecurity. That means more than 87,000 children are walking into classrooms distracted by hunger instead of being ready to learn, grow, and thrive. Michelle sees it every day.
“We’ve noticed that as the cost of living has gone up—especially groceries—families are strug gling to get food on the table. Some kids share that they didn’t have breakfast or dinner because Mom and Dad were waiting for a paycheck.” No child should have to face hunger. That’s why the Food Bank’s BackPack Program is so critical. Each week, 8,002 children receive a pack filled with easy-to-prepare, nutritious food to carry them through the weekend. In FY 25 alone, the Food Bank partnered with 244 schools across 110 districts in Nebraska and western Iowa to provide more than 1.2 million weekend meals to children in our communities.
Michelle says the excitement for the food is palpable.
“The first time students get their backpack, it feels like magic. They open it and say, ‘Oh, look at this!’ When they see mac and cheese or their favorite foods, they lig ht up.” Today, you can make twice the difference and provide that same hope to children. Thanks to the generosity of Woodhouse Auto Family, every gift made to the BackPack Program will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $500,000. That means your support can help twice as many children who don’t know where their next meal will come from. For Michelle and teachers across our region, your generosity changes what happens in the classroom on Monday morning. It turns distraction into focus. Worry into confidence. Hunger into hope.
“I just want to say thank you. Your support means everything to these kids and families. Without you, a lot of children would go home hungry and wouldn’t have the tools they need to be successful.”
Scan the QR code or visit FoodBankHeartland.org to help power up a child’s future today!