The Backpack Buddies Foundation of Loudoun (BBFL) gathered today at Sully Elementary School to present the Loudoun Education Foundation (LEF) with a $25,000 grant to help in the efforts of their weekend meal program with the LEF-LCPS Backpack Coalition. This grant will sponsor food costs for weekend meal bags at Sully Elementary School who had lost a sponsor for their weekend meal program for this school year.
“The consequences of hunger are so much more than a growling stomach,” said Kelly Miller, Program Coordinator of the LEF-LCPS Backpack Coalition. “Hunger affects a child’s physical, mental and academic well-being. Poor nutrition can lead to a weaker immune system, increased hospitalization, shorter attention span and result in lower academic achievement and cognitive development. The LEF-LCPS Backpack Coalition is so grateful to BBFL for the work they do on behalf of the hungry children here in Loudoun County. Their dedication to help fund weekend meal programs, and specifically their sponsorship of the program at Sully Elementary, is truly appreciated.”
The LEF-LCPS Backpack Coalition is a program that provides family-style meals to food-insecure students and their families to ensure they have enough to eat on the weekends during the school year. BBFL is a nonprofit whose mission is very similar to our Backpack Coalition program, so it only makes this partnership even more special.
Daniel Hampton, President and Founder of the BBFL commented, “The Backpack Buddies Foundation of Loudoun (BBFL) is proud to partner with Sully Elementary School and the LEF Backpack Coalition. When we were told that Sully ES lost their previous sponsor for their weekend food program we quickly stepped in to provide a financial grant that would cover the program for the entire school year. A major part of BBFL’s mission is to fund existing weekend food programs to ensure that children supported always get the meals they need. BBFL’s Board works year-round to fight the issue of food insecurity for children in Loudoun County Public Schools, because hunger doesn’t take the weekend off.”
To learn more about the Loudoun Education Foundation and our programs such as the LEF-LCPS Backpack Coalition, visit www.loudouneducationfoundation.org and to learn more about BBFL and their mission, visit www.bbfloudoun.org.