By Spinal Column Staff | on April 13, 2022

Patrick Pfeiffer, center, is pictured with Lakewood Elementary staff as he delivers Blessings in a Backpack supplies earlier this year. (Photo provided)

The Huron Valley community is invited to enjoy an evening of comedy for a good cause.

The Huron Valley Optimist Club and Blessings in a Backpack Committee will host “A Magical Night of Comedy,” on Saturday, April 23 from 6 – 11 p.m. at Baker’s of Milford restaurant.

Proceeds benefit the Huron Valley Blessings in a Backpack program, which provides weekend meals to about 650 children throughout the Huron Valley School district.

Pamela Barckholtz, BIB program coordinator, said the need for the program is greater than ever and provides so many benefits to children experiencing food insecurity.

“The need has absolutely grown during the pandemic, however it had grown considerably even before COVID,” said Barckholtz. “In 2015 when we started the program, we served 70 families at one elementary school. In 2020 when the pandemic hit, we were serving all eight elementary schools, three middle schools and Harbor High. This amounted to slightly under 600 children being served every week for the entire school year and the cost was $100 per child for the school year.”

Their budget then was $60,000, which came from fundraisers, grant funding and private donors. The cost is now $130 per child for the school year; with approximately 650 children served, the budget needs to stretch to $84,500.

Barckholtz said a national research program is underway to provide clear evidence of the benefits of the program, but in Huron Valley, organizers have anecdotal information that suggests the following: • better attendance by students who are food insecure, especially on Mondays • improved behavior in the classroom (hunger can lead to anxiety, frustration and behavior problems) • improved academic success and test scores (a well nourished body is more ready to learn and can utilize instruction more effectively) • chronic food insecurity is a trauma experience that results in problems with general and mental health

In the seven years since the program began, organizers have refined the process of getting quality food into the hands of children who need it most.

“We have learned more efficient ways to purchase [food],” said Barckholtz. “Because of our national program working with the Department of Agriculture and contracting with Sysco, we are able to purchase pre-packaged weekend meals that have a higher nutritional value, a lot less sugar, and can be efficiently placed in the student school backpacks.”

When supply chain issues arise, dedicated volunteers like Patrick Pfeiffer, BIB logistics manager, arrange for food purchases (sometimes making a last minute run to Costco) and deliver the quantity requested to every school. Pfeiffer has also written three small grants to local country clubs resulting in $8,000 for the program.

To donate to the Huron Valley Blessings in a Backpack program, mail a check to “Blessings in a Backpack,” P.O. Box 1015, Highland, Mi. 48357. You can also donate electronically at blessingsinabackpack.org, but when using the national website, make sure to designate the Huron Valley program. For more information, e-mail blessingshv@gmail.com.

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