Penn State Wilkes-Barre recently made a donation to the Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank's Feeding America Backpack Program. This provides at-risk students with backpacks filled with healthy, easy-to-open foods to eat over the weekends and during holidays when they would otherwise go hungry. In northeast Pennsylvania, 23 percent of all students live in food insecure or hungry homes.
The Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank is in the process of rolling out the program focusing on healthy food alternatives to Lehman-Jackson Elementary and eventually Dallas Wycallis and Dallas Elementary, all in the Back Mountain.
Funds for the donation were raised through dress-down Fridays held for Penn State Wilkes-Barre faculty and staff throughout the spring semester. Participants paid $2 to wear jeans and funds are voted upon for donation.