Idaho Food Bank working to feed students in Back-to-School campaign

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– The Idaho Food Bank is starting the school year by providing food to students through their School Pantry and Backpack programs, part of their Back-to-School campaign.

According to a report by Feeding America, nearly 15% of Idaho children struggle with food insecurity, that's over 67,000 kids across the state.

"When a kid is hungry in school, it leads to a lot of different issues," said Kia Shaw, Eastern Idaho Branch Manager of the Idaho Food Bank. "It can be lead to behavioral issues, health issues, disruptions in classes, falling behind, having lower test scores–so making sure that kiddos have that basic necessity of nutritious food is really important."

The Idaho Food Bank's Backpack program provides kids with a bag of food to take home during the weekend, when they don't have access to steady, school-provided meals. The School Pantry program allows students and their families to receive food help from pantries located on site at school facilities.

"If a child needs assistance or if you as a family need assistance, please talk to the school counselors or the administrators," said Shaw. "They can definitely get you hooked up in the right positions."

If you want to know more about how to receive food assistance or how to donate to the Idaho Food Bank, visit their website: www.idahofoodbank.org.