LOUISVILLE, Ky.-- The program that blesses children by putting food in their backpacks to take home and eat over the weekend, 'Blessings in a Backpack,' began in Louisville. On one chilly October Friday morning, some 400 kids at Englehard Elementary downtown lined up and took items like canned spaghetti and beef jerky from volunteers; they do this every week. The program has served 87,300 children across the country, in 1,092 schools, in 45 different states. Parents in Louisville have given testimonials praising the program. But there's a bigger picture. The Greater Louisville Project (GLP) says there are 38,000 children in the city living in poverty. That's one in every five kids. They're recommending action to relieve this population from financial struggles. 

  • Blessings in a Backpack serves children in poverty, by packing their bookbags with food to take home and eat over the weekend.
  • The program at Englehard Elementary serves about 400 students, in the school where 90-94% of kids receive free or reduced lunch, and 16-20% are homeless. 
  • In the bigger picture, the Greater Louisville Project (GLP) says 38,000 children in Louisville live in poverty, that's 1 in 5 kids. They're looking at ways to reduce that number.

At Englehard Elementary, Principal Ryan McCoy says 90 to 94% of students receive free or reduced lunch, and 16 to 20% of students are considered homeless. He's touched by the nonprofit that stocks them with food for every weekend.

"I've heard stories of students that you know, their family has shared a can of baked beans for dinner. And we're talking a family of five or six sharing one can of baked beans for dinner. And that just breaks my heart," McCoy shares. 

Although homelessness in schools doesn't necessarily mean the kids live out on the streets, McCoy says there's still a real need at his school. 

"That does not necessarily mean that they're living out on the street. So, we do serve five shelters in the area. We also have many families that are just very mobile, and live with over family members," McCoy explains. 

First grader Alashia Watson and her mom, Jessica Giles, live in an apartment in downtown Louisville. Alashia has been going to school at Englehard for two years, and is proud to bring home blessings in her backpack each Friday. Giles is grateful. 

"It comes in handy, 'cause there's times where we've had our refrigerator go out, and so all we had was what was in the pantry," says Giles. 

Giles shares the story of one snowy Friday, when school was called-off, and she arrived home at her front doorstep to a big surprise. School staff had delivered food that day, since students hadn't been in the building to be personally handed the supplies. 

"It was just an overwhelming feeling like wow, okay, the school really does care," Giles gushed. 

"Filling one of [kids] most basic needs, that helps build that relationship and build that trust," explains the principal, McCoy, "A lot of our students, there are trust issues. There have been people in and out of their lives for much of growing up."

Giles is one mom who knows what it's like to live in hard times, and says something should be done to make living better for 38,00 children in the city. The GLP believes Blessings in a Backpack is just one solution to a multi-faceted problem. Read more on their research here.  

Stay tuned as Spectrum News One's Reporter Ashleigh Mills uncovers their strategy to reverse the statistics on Louisville children. 

If you'd like to know more about Blessings in a Backpack, or to donate, click here.