The Citizens Bank Foundation announced yesterday a $5,000 grant to our Backpack Program as part of its hunger awareness initiative throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Deborah Khan (left), Senior Vice President, Community Relations for Citizens Bank, joined Scott Sukeena (middle), our Board Chairman and Senior Vice President of Citizens Bank, and our President and CEO, Patricia Beebe, yesterday for an official check presentation! We will use Citizens Bank’s generous grant to provide nutritious weekend meals to 25 children for a full school year!
The Backpack Program provides food to at-need children for weekends and holidays when school is not in session and federal school meal programs are not available. Backpacks are stocked with kid-friendly, nutritious food including shelf-stable milk and juice, peanut butter and jelly, granola bars, apple sauce, cereal and more. They are distributed on Fridays or the last day before a holiday or vacation in a discreet manner at sites where children normally congregate after school. These sites include churches, community centers, childcare centers, Kids Café sites and more.
Last year we distributed 55,846 backpacks through 48 statewide sites.
“The Citizens Bank Foundation believes helping children to get the food they need is critical,” said Daniel K. Fitzpatrick, Citizens Bank President & CEO for Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. “Agencies such as the Food Bank of Delaware perform vital work every day and we are happy to lend a helping hand.”
“We’re thankful for the help Citizens Bank provides in tackling the persistent problem of hunger, particularly as it relates to children,” said our President and CEO, Patricia Beebe. “This contribution will significantly improve the quality of life for some of our residents.”
To learn more about the Backpack Program or the become a distribution site, please contact Stacy Stevens, Children’s Nutrition Program Coordinator, at (302) 444-8128 or sstevens@fbd.org.
Thanks again to Citizens Bank for their commitment to alleviating childhood hunger in the First State!
Food Bank of Delaware 