Elementary Students in Need to Receive Summer Food Backpacks

The Peanut Butter Project, in partnership with the St. Paul's Food Pantry in South Side Easton and local school leaders, are working to provide summer backpacks filled with non-perishable food to 30 Easton area elementary school students in need.

Specific items are needed to supply the 30 backpacks, which will be filled by volunteers at the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Southside Food Pantry on three evenings this summer and distributed by the school over nine weeks.

The Peanut Butter Project was formed by Forks resident Nancy Walters in response to a specific request for peanut butter donations for Easton's Downtown Interfaith Food Pantry run by ProJeCt.

“Our local food banks continue to struggle to provide food to more and more families,” said Walters.  “Our first effort was to provide peanut butter, which is a great source of protein, can be used at any meal, and requires no refrigeration.  Now we have expanded the program to include the priority staples that are always needed at all food pantries...and  partnered to create the backpack program."

Items that the groups are requesting include:

• Individual non-refrigerated milk packs (parmalat type) of any kind of milk, including regular, rice, soy, almond, and chocolate
• Individual fruit juices, non-refrigerated packs or pouches, preferably all-juice or juice/veggie blend, with no added sugar
• Cereal - individual cereal bowls or regular size boxes,  healthy choices such as cheerios, raisin bran, chex, etc., as opposed to high-sugar cereals
• Protein or granola bars - look for high protein - five grams is good
• Individual fruit cups, preferably with no added sugar or packed in fruit's own juice
• Individual boxes of raisins
• Jars of peanut butter--any size is fine
• Plastic bottles of jelly or jam, preferably squeeze bottles
• Paper grocery bags, for packing and distributing goods 

The groups are also accepting grocery store gift cards--any denomination is appreciated.

Monetary donations are welcome too, which will be put towards purchasing items that are not donated.

Checks, designated for “Summer Backpacks", can be sent to Arndt’s Lutheran Church, 1851 Arndt Rd, Easton, PA 18040 or St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 610 W. Berwick St., Easton, PA 18042.   

For more information on backpack donations or the Peanut Butter Project, contact Nancy Walters at 610-253-0726 or nancywalters@rcn.com