MONROE, La. — School age hunger is growing across America, and the numbers are increasing right here in our backyard.
"I've witnessed several students coming in school hungry, or leaving out and asking for things to eat, or throughout the day wanting a snack," says Jamekia Hunter, Madison James Foster Elem. Teacher.
The Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana says they've heard that cry of hunger and want to change that tune, by creating the 'Backpack Program.'
"The backpack program is a program that takes 500-children that are chronically hungry and we give them a backpack for a weekend, and it's the same children every week," says Celeste Pogue, Backpack Program Director.
At the beginning of the school year, the Food Bank provides 9-title one schools with forms for the free program.
"There's a form that the parents fill out and they bring it back and they're selected to receive a backpack," says Jamekia Hunter, Madison James Foster Elem. Teacher.
The backpack meals are prepared at the food bank in Monroe.
Once the food is bagged up, it's boxed up, then off to be delivered to 9-schools across the twin cities.
Teachers say students look forward to receiving these backpack meals every Thursday or Friday.
"When the kids get these backpacks, they have a sense of ownership, this is my bag," says Jamekia Hunter, Madison James Foster Elem. Teacher.
And these meals don't stop when the scheduled school year lets out, students can also receive them in the summer.
"We refer them to some of our partner agencies so their parents can go and pick up food from those agencies and bring it home so they still get the nutrition that they need," says Celeste Pogue, Backpack Program Director.
Organizers say these meals are balanced with all of the proper nutrients a child needs from the food pyramid.
""It has vegetables, we have raviolis which have the meat for protein, that have mac and cheese, snacks, they also have non-perishable milk, juice and cereal," says Celeste Pogue, Backpack Program Director.