Salvation Army in Brackenridge sends Love in a Backpack to Highlands students

Hugs for Highlands students in need were delivered Thursday by the Brackenridge Salvation Army in the form of granola bars, juice and bananas.

Nearly 100 in all, the care packages dubbed Love in a Backpack made their way to three of the district campuses, as they do every week of the school year.

Shelf-stable items are stuffed discreetly in plastic bags and sent home with students to ensure they don’t go hungry.

“We want to make sure they have it for the weekend,” said Selah Bender, captain at the Salvation Army of Allegheny Valley.

There are nearly 38,000 children across Allegheny County who are fighting food insecurity, according to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

Bender said food is specially chosen to be kid-friendly yet nutritious. Grab-and-go items such as microwaveable mac and cheese, instant oatmeal and fresh fruit provide vitamins and smiles, she said.

“We try to change it every week and give them some variety,” Bender said. “We want it to be food that they want to eat, but we also want it to be on the healthy side.”

The food program is made available thanks in part to a $30,000 grant from the Bayer Fund, the pharmaceutical company’s philanthropic arm.

Money was awarded to the Salvation Army Western Pennsylvania Division to support the Feeding Families for Life campaign in Brackenridge, among other programs.

Highlands Elementary Principal Stan Whiteman said the school is grateful for the help. Nearly 50 of the snack bags are sent to feed his students each week.

Others go to the Early Childhood Center and middle school.

“The Love in a Backpack program provides additional resources for our families,” Whiteman said. “Each Friday, our school counselor, Angela Boyer, meets with the recipients and delivers a bag filled with snacks and canned goods to help our students throughout the weekend.”

The impact is unmistakable, Salvation Army social worker Victoria McCloud said.

“We want to do everything we can to help the kids,” she said. “We make sure the items are easy to grab, easy to cook and will be something they like.”