Imperial County is a rural community, highly dependent of agriculture, surrounded by the desert. The unemployment rate is normally 24% or higher. Due to COVID, the unemployment rate is significantly higher now. It is estimated that 1 in 3 school age children has food insecurity in the county. Because of that, there are a lot of families that depend on the Imperial Valley Food Bank for everyday meals.
At any given point, the Food Banks distributes non-descript backpacks to 700 children k-12, from 38 different Imperial Valley schools. The goals is to expand the backpack program to feed 1000 children.
It costs $180 per year to sponsor a backpack. The backpack is full of food that varies depending on availability. However, it usually includes rice, beans, juice, tuna, fruit, vegetables, canned soups, etc.
15 backpacks x $180 a year = $2700 The club will pay for $1350 and the District Matching grant will pay for $1350
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