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UPS Delivers Thanksgiving Break Boxes
Winter Break is not the only time of year when students enrolled in the BackPack Food Program see a food box instead of a bag. When school dismissed for Thanksgiving Break in November, boxes of food were distributed at Parent-Teacher Conferences.
UPS donated free delivery to Rosa Parks, Monroe and Hoover elementary schools, where boxes needed to arrive a bit earlier due to variances in conference scheduling.
Pictured above is UPS driver Chad Botsford who made these special deliveries.
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Climb 2 Feed Kids- There's still time to register!
There is still time to get your team of 10 registered for the 3rd-annual Climb 2 Feed Kids event, benefiting the BackPack Food Program. The relay-style stadium stair climb will be back at the MSU Taylor Center - Bresnan Arena on January 10th. Visit www.Climb2FeedKids.org for more information and to register your team. Questions? Call 507-720-8511 or email c2fk@backpackfoodprogram.org.
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Upcoming BackPack Supper Club: Jersey Mike's Subs January 10th - 16th.
This month's BackPack Supper Club will be held at Jersey Mike's. Visit either Mankato location to redeem coupons for great deals on delicious subs. For each coupon redeemed, $2.00 will be donated to the BackPack Food Program. Return multiple times from January 10th-16th to redeem your coupons! Turn in a paper coupon or show it on your phone.
Getting together with co-workers or hosting a company lunch during the week of January 10th? Consider ordering through Jersey Mike's. Each person in the party can use a coupon. For example, $6.99 will get each person a regular sub, 1 chip, and a drink. You can choose any sub from their menu and they'll even deliver for orders of 5 or more subs! (No hot subs allowed with the delivery option.)
PLACING A LARGE ORDER? If you are expecting to place a large order, you can call Kayla at 507-276-3111 and she will help you out! Tell her that you want your order to support the BackPack Food Program.
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BackPack volunteer opportunities
 Want to join one of our weekly volunteer sessions? Watch our website where the February schedule will soon be posted. Individuals and organizations are welcome to join volunteer sessions. If you are part of a group that would like to volunteer, or if you have any questions, please contact Nicole Swanson:
nswanson@backpackfoodprogram.org or call 507-381-4562.
In the meantime, consider volunteering at BackPack's annual Climb 2 Feed Kids fundraiser this Saturday, January 10th at the MSU Taylor Center-Bresnan Arena. There are multiple spots open for set up, saftety monitors, timers and more. Click here to sign up!
Strengthen communities by directing your Thrivent Choice Dollars to FOCP
Eligible Thrivent Financial members can recommend where Thrivent distributes a portion of its charitable outreach funds. Feeding Our Communities Partners (FOCP) is now an organization that is eligible to receive Choice Dollars, part of the Thrivent Choice member-advised charitable grant program. Learn more about this program and be sure to visit the FOCP page on Thrivent Financial.
Shop Amazon Smile - A simple way to support FOCP
Did you know that Amazon.com offers an easy, automatic way for you to support Feeding Our Communities Partners every time you shop? There is no fee or hassle to sign up and you can shop Amazon in the same manner that you are already used to. When you make eligible AmazonSmile purchases, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to our organization. When you first visit AmazonSmile, you will need to choose the organization that you choose to support. Find out more about AmazonSmile here.
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Heintz Toyota donates $5000 to BackPack
In conjunction with the Charitable Contribution from Toyota Financial Services to support Feeding Our Communities Partners (FOCP), Heintz Toyota is supporting the BackPack Food Program with a contribution that totals $5,000. Thank you, Heintz Toyota, for coming on board as a School Level Partner with FOCP and the BackPack Food Program. You are helping to feed local students right here in the Mankato-area!
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Hy-$5 for BackPack wraps up!
The Hy-$5 for BackPack campaign ended on January 3rd with 694 bags sold! This was just shy of our goal of 850 which would have unlocked our board member-match of 100 bags.
These $5 bags of food are a great asset to our program and the items in them go directly into the food packs that are distributed to students every week.
We are appreciative of the support of Riverfront and Hilltop Hy-Vee, Minnesota 93, shoppers, and volunteers - especially Kim Sogaard and John Jensen who picked up and transported the purchased bags to BackPack Central every week. Thank you!
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Community shows support with Grateful Giving Campaign
Last November, the Grateful Giving Calendar Challenge was launched to help raise awareness about homelessness and hunger issues in our community. Participants in the challenge were asked to follow a calendar that pointed out basic things that most of us have in our daily lives, but sometimes take for granted, such as a bed to sleep in or knowledge of where our next meal will come from. For each item that applied to the participant, a nominal monetary deposit was supposed to be made in a home-crafted "giving jar." At the end of the challenge, participants were encouraged to donated the contents of the jar to one of the local organizations listed on the calendar who are working to combat hunger and homelessness in Blue Earth County. The BackPack Food Program was listed as one of the organizations.
Approximately $1,000 in donations came in to our organization from the community. $600 of the total came from employees and staff at Coldwell Banker Commercial Fisher Group. The company challenged staff and employees to participate in the calendar and then matched each donation.
Thanks to all who decided to participate and then donate to BackPack.
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Hilltop United Methodist Bazaar raises $5000 for BackPack
Hilltop United Methodist Church held its annual Christmas Bazaar on December 5 and raised approximately $5,000 for BackPack. Half of the proceeds from sales of crafts, baked items, holiday decor, a silent auction, peanut brittle, and more were donated to the program. Thanks to all of the people who organized and attended the event.
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Play benefits BackPack Food Program
The Centenary United Methodist Church Drama Ministry Team presented three showings of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" in early December and raised $2,751.30 for the BackPack Food Program. No admission was charged and all free-will donations were donated to the program. We thank the cast and crew for all of the hard work that went into the preparation and performance. And, thanks to all who attended and generously donated.
This play was presented by arrangement with TAMS-WITMARK MUSIC LIBRARY, INC. (500 Lexington avenue, New York, New York 10022).
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Donation from Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Council of Catholic Women
A $2500 donation was dropped off at BackPack on December 21st by Sharon Julian and her daughter, Nina Stupek. The donation is from Immaculate Conception Catholic Church's Council of Catholic Women, where Sharon volunteers. The donation was a result of the Council's fundraising efforts. Sharon lives in Saint Clair and will be a member of the transportation team for Saint Clair Elementary School. Nina volunteers with BackPack and does food pack distribution at Dakota Meadows.
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BackPack participated in Citizen's Community Federal Bank's Cash Cube
The BackPack Food Program was invited to participate in a cash cube frenzy at Citizen Community Federal (CCF) Bank's grand opening in early November. The result was a $500 donation after Program Coordinator, Sarah Dickhudt entered the windy cube. Thanks for the fun and generosity, CCF Bank!
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Members of the Maple River FFA group and other community members came to BackPack Central to pick up all of the boxes and books needed to host a satellite distribution in Mapleton for students from Maple River East and West elementary schools. 
