High School Student Helps Fight Childhood Hunger in North Dakota, One Backpack at a Time

Lauryn Hinckley was just a child herself when she first realized that other kids in her community were going hungry.

"I have seen hungry children standing in front of me with a grocery cart half full of food, and most of which had to be put back on the shelves because their mom didn’t have enough money to pay for it," Hinckley told Points of Light last year. "The first time I saw it I was nine-years-old and I have never forgotten seeing this sad situation."

Since 2011, Hinckley has organized the "Fighting Childhood Hunger One Backpack at a Time" food drive. The goal was to help support the Missouri Slope Areawide United Way's backpack program, which provides food insecure children in Bismarck & Mandan, ND with backpacks filled with food to take home on weekends. After collecting all kinds of non-perishable snacks during the first year of the event, Hinckley realized that asking specifically for jars of peanut butter and jelly would create the most impact. Kids generally love PB&J sandwiches and it's easier for volunteers to sort and make sure that all of the children are receiving the same items. On top of that, food banks love receiving donations of peanut butter because of its high protein content.

The food drive has continued to grow every year - dozens of local schools and businesses now serve as collection points. As the event got bigger, however, Lauryn realized she was going to need a little help. For the past 3 years, members of the Move For Hunger network have provided boxes for the event and have volunteered to pick up and deliver the donations to the United Way.

According to Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap report, 50% of the children who are food insecure in Burleigh County are ineligible for federal nutrition programs, like the National School Lunch program. Those families who don't qualify may rely solely on charitable assistance to put meals on the table, which is why precisely why food drives like One Backpack at a Time are so important.

"One small act of kindness can change someone’s life," says Hinckley. "My motivator is a first-grade boy who told a janitor he was so happy it was Monday morning so he could eat again after the weekend. The janitor signed him up for the 'Backpack Program' which he knew about through my drive."

The results aren't merely anecdotal. More than 10,500 lbs. of peanut butter and jelly were donated this year, which is the equivalent 8,750 meals! For the second year in a row, our friends from Jobbers Moving & Storage volunteered their time and resources to help with the event.

Although Hinckley is graduating and heading off to college in the fall, the leadership class at Century High School will keep the One Backpack at a Time tradition alive next year. That the food drive will continue to happen even in her absence is proof of just what a profound effect it has had on her community.

Thank you, Lauryn, for everything you've done to raise awareness about childhood hunger in North Dakota over the past 8 years! And a special thanks goes out to the crew at Jobbers Moving & Storage, as well - your assistance over the past 2 years has been invaluable!

Now it's YOUR turn! Let's work together to fight childhood hunger in your community!