DETROIT, MI – Higher Hopes!, a Michigan-based charitable organization, is proud to announce a new affiliate partnership with the national nonprofit Blessings in a Backpack to provide weekend meals for Head Start students in Detroit.
Starting this school year, 500 students at United Children and Family Head Start, Starfish Family Services, Development Centers (MiSide), and Focus: HOPE Head Start will receive pre-packs of nutritious food every Friday to ensure they have access to food over the weekend. Through this initiative, Higher Hopes! and Blessings in a Backpack aim to stop weekend hunger and provide vital nutrition for children who are food insecure.
Bill Birndorf, founder of Higher Hopes!, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership.
“We are so excited to be bringing this program to our Head Start facilities in Detroit and even more excited to help stamp out weekend hunger pangs,” Birndorf said. “It’s an amazing program as only $175 will see one child given weekend food throughout the entire school year. For this first year, we aim to provide weekend food to a minimum of 1,500 children per month.”
Most students in the Blessings in a Backpack program rely on free and reduced-cost lunches during the school week for healthy meals but lack access to food over the weekend. By providing weekend prepacks, the organizations aim to alleviate hunger and ensure Detroit-area children have the nutrition they need to learn, grow, and thrive.
“With this very important and meaningful program, we want kids to come to school on Monday morning without the pains of hunger that they might experience without our involvement,” Birndorf said. “Looking forward, our long-term goal is to increase the number of children reached each year.”
“We are thrilled to build sustainable partnerships in the area to help ensure hundreds of local students are fed each weekend,” said Erin Kerr, CEO, Blessings in a Backpack. “It’s an honor to join forces with Higher Hopes! to extend our reach in Detroit and instill hope for a brighter future among students.”
For more information on how you can support Higher Hopes! efforts to provide food for Head Start students over weekends, please visit higherhopesdetroit.org or contact Bill Birndorf at [email protected].
