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Politics & Government

Richmond Heights Helps Operation Backpack Fight Hunger

The city partnered with Operation Food Search for a food drive.

Over the last 10 years, the has worked with a variety of charities and organizations to help those in need. This year, the city participated in Operation Backpack, a food drive sponsored by Operation Food Search.

Operation Backpack began in spring 2008 to help address the issue of hunger, which affects thousands of children in St. Louis. Backpacks are filled with nutritious, kid-friendly and easy-to-prepare foods that have been collected during the food drive. The children then receive backpacks on Fridays during the school year before dismissal, according to the Operation Backpack Web site. On Mondays, students return the empty backpacks and the cycle continues.

"This program helps with not only discounted lunches, but it also makes sure that children have food to eat when they get home," said Julie Echols, human resources coordinator for Richmond Heights. The city works with Operation Food Search each year.

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The food drive ran from Oct. 25 until Nov. 24.

Collection bins were available at , the city's and buildings, and the . Items collected included peanut butter and jelly, whole-grain cereals, canned chicken, turkey and tuna; macaroni and cheese, raisin boxes and soups.

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"What we did was rather than have just a regular canned food drive, we asked people to bring in the contents needed for the backpacks. This allowed us to help Operation Food Search to provide the food they needed for the Operation Backpack program," Echols said.

During the 2009 school year, Operation Backpack provided nearly 16,000 backpacks for children in need, according to the program's Web site. Nine schools enrolled in the program, and 885 low-income children received assistance. Eighty-five percent of children enrolled in St. Louis public schools rely on free or reduced-cost meal programs, according to Operation Backpack. 

"It's hard for some of these kids. They go home and there is little to no food available to them, and it's with programs like Operation Backpack that we can help them," Echols said. 

Echols added: "This year, we just felt this was the most important program was Operation Backpack, so that's where we focused our attention. The city wants to do everything we can, not just for our community but all communities."

Operation Food Search also offers a 24-hour Hunger Hotline. Those who have urgent food needs or know of others who do get referral information for agencies throughout the community. 

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