Labor of Love Backpack Program
In the Fall of 2013, The United Labor Agency took over a Weekend Food Backpack Program from the Junior League of Hartford at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School. Since then we had been able to expand to five other schools, S.A.N.D School in Hartford, Church Street School in Hamden, BCO Headstart in Bristol, John C. Daniels in New Haven, and The Charles F. Hayden Day School in Milford; serving over 80 families. However, due to funding constraints and grant funding ending, ULA is currently only able to provide Backpacks to BCO Headstart in Bristol.
Each week, backpacks are filled by ULA Staff and volunteers. The backpacks are packed with child-friendly, nonperishable foods for the weekend. The backpacks contain enough food to feed the child for the weekend and include food for at least one family meal. ULA Staff deliver the bags each week school where the designated school staff then distributed the backpacks to the children at the end of the week.
In addition to food, the backpacks contain information about how to prepare healthy snacks or meals with the food provided and nutritional tips. Each week we also send home non-food items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, pencils, children’s books, hats, mittens, and information on area social service programs and resources. Because we seek to provide enough food to help feed the participating children’s families, in addition to the children themselves, the Labor of Love Backpack Program has fed over 300 individuals each weekend for the entire school year.
Watch the Backpacks for Families in Need Video