Havre continues fight against childhood hunger

People are encouraged to wear their favorite sports team jersey April 21 on 406 BackPack Jersey Day, a day intended to bring attention and money to a program whose goal is to curb hunger for needy elementary students before the children go home for the weekend.

People interested in donating can do so at Opportunity Link Inc. The easiest way to donate, Opportunity Link Fiscal Director Andi Daniel said, is by dropping by 339 Third St. in Havre and donating in person. Five dollars is the suggested minimum donation.

“The (program) provides weekend food to 100 elementary school children at Havre Public Schools each week. These are designed to provide a weekend’s worth of food to help low-income families bridge the gap when it isn’t in session,” Daniel wrote in an email.

The food packages will be donated to children in need at the three Havre elementary schools. The program used to supply those packs to middle and high school students in need, but that need is being met by the pantry instead.

Havre Middle School Librarian Jean Murphy said she saw up front, when the program was providing for the middle school students, how the packs impacted lives.

“I used to see kids coming to school less hungry,” Murphy said, adding teachers noticed that those students were more attentive because they received the food packs over the weekend.

The packages usually include milk, cereal and nonperishable items, Daniel said.

A flyer for the program says a total of 106 Montanan schools in 42 cities participate in the Montana Food Bank Network’s BackPack Program.

“We are engaging all these communities around Montana to join in during Fight Childhood Hunger Week, April 17-21,” the flyer says.