CARRINGTON, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – A program that started in Carrington in 2015 continues to serve children in the area.

The Backpack Program helps bridge the time from a student’s last school meal on a Friday to their first meal on Monday of the following week. Administered through Carrington’s Daily Bread Food Pantry and Healthy Communities Coalition, the assistance is there for those who need it.

CHI St. Alexius Health Marketing Coordinator Nicole Threadgold says the program started in 2015 when officials at the school felt Daily Bread could help supply food for their students while they weren’t in school.

Today, the program continues to serve an average of 29 elementary aged students and 19 middle and high school students each week.

Threadgold says they rotate the different foods that are supplied in the backpacks.

She added that another obstacle the program faces at times is the cost. The first year of the program, it was funded entirely on community donations.

She says the need for the program has allowed them to secure a grant so they could build funds for future sustainability.

Threadgold says the Backpack Program continues to be a promising practice, which is proven to improve community and quality of life. You can assist the program by raising funds or making a donation.

Contact Jan Bakke at 701-652-5558 or Anna Grenz at 701-652-5924. You can also contact the Carrington School District for more details.

Listen to a full interview with Nicole Threadgold below: