Now in its fourth year of providing food to families in Mayfield CSD, the BackPack Program this year had to adjust its operations to ensure recipients were getting the support they need.
The Mayfield BackPack Program used to send the food home with students on Fridays, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the program has shifted to delivering food monthly to families’ homes via school bus.
Members of the B-P Lions Club pick up the food and deliver it to the Junior-Senior High School, where it’s loaded on a bus for delivery to about 20 families.
In 2017, Mayfield Elementary School teacher Mary Swart led the effort to launch the BackPack Program at Mayfield CSD. Since then, the program has served 200-300 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade with food purchased in bulk through the NENY Regional Food Bank. Funds to support the program have come from grants and private donors, as well as fundraisers including basket raffles at the annual Bannertown Fair, a Chili Cook-Off, a Family Fun Run 5K, collections at sporting events, and other drives put on through the B-P Lions Club.
If you would like to support the Mayfield BackPack Program:
- Go to www.regionalfoodbank.net and click on donate. Put Mayfield CSD BackPack Program in notes.
- Send a check to Northeastern Regional Food Bank at 965 Albany-Shaker Road, Latham, New York, 12110. Make checks payable to the Northeastern Regional Food Bank. In the memo, please write “Mayfield CSD BackPack Program.”
Email Mary Swart at swart.mary@mayfieldcsd.org for more information or to inquire about receiving food through the program.