Pack ‘Til They’re Back Client Story: Destiny and Qualan
December 20, 2011
Pack ‘til They’re Back is a holiday campaign intended to raise awareness for the children who rely on the Feeding America BackPack Program. Over the course of the holidays, Feeding America will share the stories of families served by their local BackPack Programs. Last week, you learned about Donna and her girls, a Missouri family struggling with hunger. Our final story features a family served by the North Texas Food Bank.
Destiny(10) and Qualan (7) wake up and get to school early, just like most of their classmates at their Dallas elementary school. They gather with other children in the cafeteria and wait patiently to get their free breakfasts. In a few short hours, they know they can rely on a hot lunch as well. For Destiny, Qualan, and many of their schoolmates, these guaranteed meals during the week ease the financial burden for the families in a community where food-insecurity is a constant. Before the two had access to their local BackPack Program, the weekends were a little tough.
Aquala, the mother of these two lovable children, lost her job in March. Tired of feeling easily dispensable, she decided to go back to school in pursuit of a healthcare career. Between school fees, rent, and bills, Aquala can barely keep up. Her family is one of the many at this elementary school that rely on their local BackPack Program served by the North Texas Food Bank.
The Feeding America BackPack Program offers children like Destiny and Qualan the access to nutritious meals over the weekend so that they can come to school on Mondays ready to learn. We recently learned more about this family and their local BackPack site during a trip sponsored by our partners at C&S Wholesale Grocers.
Destiny, Qualan, and Aquala shared their story with us in the following video:
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