Bobcat Backpacks for Kids Project

Approximately 150 Hallsville ISD students have been identified as totally dependent on the meals they receive at the school cafeteria. These children have little or no food on weekends or during school holidays. You can help by supporting the Bobcat Backpacks for Kids Project.

Hallsville ISD and the East Texas Food Bank are partnering to sponsor a new program, the Bobcat Backpacks for Kids Project, which provides nutritional meals and snacks to children whose primary source of food is the school cafeteria, This program is modeled after a similar program in Tyler ISD that was featured in the Wall Street Journal. The participants will receive backpacks to sustain them during week ends and holidays. By providing assistance we are supporting a child’s nutritional, mental, and physical needs. The success seen by participants in programs like this across the country is astonishing! Documentation and feedback from administrative staff, faculty, parents, and children themselves shows a clear, distinct improvement in areas like behavior, academics, social interaction, well-being, and attention span. With this project we hope to reach children throughout the district and establish an effective outreach program to enrich the lives of children in need.

Identities of the students who are participating in the Bobcat Backpack Project are kept confidential. The purpose of this project is not to embarrass or “single out” children. By adhering to this policy, it ensures that no student can be identified for any reason. Although the East Texas Food Bank asks for the district to send information about the number of backpacks distributed, they never ask for the identity of a child.

The backpacks used in the program resemble the everyday backpacks used at school and no symbols are used to signify who is a participant. Backpacks are distributed once a week (usually on Friday afternoon, unless it is an observed holiday, etc.) and sent home with participating students. It is the child’s responsibility to return the backpack.

The success of this project depends on contributions received from the Hallsville ISD community. Through our partnership with the East Texas Food Bank you can sponsor one child for only $136.00 per year. All donations are tax deductible. Please contact Jeannie Brooks at (903)668-5990, ext. 5007, or come by the HISD Administration Building if you are interested in volunteering or donating to this worthwhile project. Click here to download the Bobcat Backpacks for Kids Child Sponsorship Form in PDF.