Trinity program gets $15K donation
Trinity Area School District’s Blessings in a Backpack program got an assist from the Pittsburgh Penguins Wives Association.
Veronica Fleury, wife of Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, presented Dr. Beth Tully, principal at Trinity North Elementary School, with a $15,000 check before Sunday’s Penguins game.
“It was a wonderful gift, and it came at a critical time,” said Tully. “Blessings in a Backpack is something that I’ve struggled for two years to get funding for. I had actually just given up hope and then I found out about the Penguins’ wives gift.”
The Blessings in a Backpack program provides food on the weekends for students who qualify for the federal free and reduced-price meal programs.
Tully said approximately 230 students in the school district qualify for Blessings in a Backpack.
Across the country, about 69 percent of children are on the free and reduced-price meal program, according to Blessings in a Backpack.
More than 66,000 children in 45 states are involved with the program.
Tully brought the national program to Trinity more than two years ago, when the district partnered with CentiMark Corp. for one year to participate in the initiative.
For Tully, who coordinates the weekly food pickups at Walmart, the consequences of hunger are more serious than simply a growling stomach: Poor nutrition can result in a weaker immune system, lower IQ, shorter attention spans and lower academic achievement.
Improved school attendance, test scores, behavior and health have been attributed to the program.
Each week, volunteers, including Trinity High School students and community members, fill bags with nutritious and easy-to-prepare foods such as Ramen noodle soup, instant oatmeal, granola bars and juice boxes. The bags are then discreetly distributed to the children.
Families who participate in the program must remain anonymous.
It costs $80 to feed one child during the 38-week school year.
Tully said the school district is seeking community sponsors to team up with the district to continue the program for a three-year period.
Any company, organization or individual interested in donating is asked to call Tully at 724-222-5064.