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Backpack Program Receives $2,000 Grant

The Essex Foundation ended the year on a high-note of community support with a $2,000 grant awarded to the Backpack Program, a volunteer organization that provides students identified by school social workers at Essex Elementary School, John Winthrop Middle School, and Valley Regional High School with nutritious food on weekends, during school vacations, or when other resources are not available. With the number of food-insecure students in the program increasing to 42 this year, maintaining an inventory for the volunteers to pack each week has been a challenge. The Foundation’s grant award will be used to purchase food items such as cereal, oatmeal, breakfast bars, milk, juice, tuna, peanut butter, jelly, pasta, sauce, apples, and soup to stock the Backpack Program pantries that are now located at the schools.

The Essex Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to making a difference in the lives of Essex residents by providing funding for needs not met by other organizations or sources. The Foundation relies on donations from individuals, businesses, and other community groups to fund special needs and community projects that benefit Essex residents. The Foundation’s Matching Gift Challenge for the Essex Veterans Memorial Hall expansion project is also in its final phase, another example of the organization’s efforts to support local initiatives. For more information, visit theessexfoundation.org or email contact@theessexfoundation.org.