(AP) — The Kansas Food Bank has given out record numbers of its backpacks full of food this year.
The highest number of backpacks handed out this year to school children in need was 7,158 during one week in February.
Larry Gunkel is a Kansas Food Bank official who runs the program. He tells The Wichita Eagle the backpacks are part of the organization’s Food 4 Kids program.
It is designed to ensure students identified by school staff as chronically hungry can get a backpack of food each Friday.
May 17 is the last distribution of the backpacks before students begin summer break on May 22.