What is a Buddy Bag?
A buddy bag consists of two breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners, snacks, and drinks. These items serve as weekend supplemental nutrition.
Who gets the buddy bag?
Students who are on the free lunch program qualify through their schools. These students are anonymous to our organization.
Currently Buddy Bags provides to the following School Corporations:
At this time Buddy Bags are provided to the Geminus Head Start program located in Crown Point, Indiana.
In Crown Point Community School Corporation they provide for:
Eisenhower Elementary School, Lake Street Elementary School, MacArthur Elementary School, Solon Robinson Elementary School, Timothy Ball Elementary School, and ***** Wheeler Middle School *****.
In Lake Central School Corporation they provide Buddy Bags for the following schools:
Bibich Elementary School, Homan Elementary School, Kolling Elementary School, Piefer Elementary School, Prostman Elementary School, and Watson Elementary School.
In Hanover Community School Corporation they provide Buddy Bags to the following schools:
Hanover Learning Academy, Jane Ball Elementary School, Red Cedars Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary School, and ***** Hanover Central Middle School *****.
In Tri-Creek School Corporation:
Oak Hill Elementary School, Lake Prairie Elementary School, Three Creeks Elementary School, and ***** Lowell Middle School *****.
Schools listed with ***** do not receive a buddy bag but are instead provided with a $20 gift card.
Buddy Bags History
Children who are benefiting from free breakfast and lunch at school, are not always so fortunate on the weekends.
Studies show that a hungry student tends to have attention difficulties and slower memory recall. Other studies show that it takes up to two days for a student who has not eaten well over the weekend to regain their mental and physical strength. It is no surprise that suppling these students with supplemental nutrition over the weekend helps with these issues.
Imagine trying to concentrate on your studies when your stomach is grumbling. You are not only hungry, but embarrassed at the thought of your fellow students hearing your stomach. It is hard enough being a child. Worrying about food should not be one of their concerns.
In the summer of 2017 Bonnie Meyer, Director of Missions and Outreach at the Crown Point, IN First United Methodist Church, felt called and determined to help fight food insecurity in her community’s schools. She presented a plan based on a program developed by Pastor Jeff Newton of Kokomo, IN called Buddy Bags. This program provided students that qualified for the Federal Free Lunch Program a bag of food to take home on the last day of the school week. The “Buddy Bag” contained breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for two days.
It took some convincing that the funding for the program could be found, but all the members of the Missions Committee were eager to join the fight against food insecurity. Bonnie relied on Pastor Newton for his wisdom and experience. Finding space in the church to set up operations was a challenge. With a lot of rearranging and help from the church’s building manager, Julie Schulz, the stage in the Fellowship Hall was transformed into Buddy Bag Central. The large, sturdy shelves were ideal for the large quantities of food items needed each week.
Bonnie price-compared local and online vendors. As word spread throughout the church, volunteers were eager to help. With shelves filled and at least one Crown Point School on board, Buddy Bags was ready to launch.
As of September of 2017, Buddy Bags were being provided to 139 students at Mac Arthur Elementary School in Cedar Lake, IN.
The program now serves over 850 food insecure students in twenty-two schools across four school districts.