BATH

The Bath Area BackPack Program was recently granted independent nonprofit status.

The program started three years ago with a goal of feeding 10 students at Dike Newell School. It has grown to feeding up to 120 students at five area schools including Fisher Mitchell, Phippsburg and West Bath Elementary Schools and maintains food pantries at the Bath Middle and Phippsburg schools.

The growth occured with support from local individuals and business who pledged to fund the start-up in 2014. The program began with 20 volunteers, whose ranks now number more than 60. Food for the backpack bags is supplied by the Good Shepherd Food Bank in Auburn and local grocers where food for the school pantries is purchased.

Bath United Methodist Church for provided the vision for feeding needy hungry children in the Bath Schools on weekends and for provided the umbrella 501C3 not-for-profit status, under which the program was founded. Now, the program has been granted independent non-profit status by the Internal Revenue Service.

Maine Hosting Solutions of Bath created and hosts the Bath Area BackPack Program’s website at bathbackpack.org, through which donations can be accepted through PayPal. One can also visit facebook.com/BathBackPackProgram. Those interested in volunteering should contact Volunteer Coordinator Brenda Ouellette at (802) 673-2759 or the school principal at any of the participating schools for more information.

Bath area citizens and businesses interested becoming a BABPP community partner should contact Irving Ouellette, at (207) 729-3089 or Pamela Cox at (207) 386-1358 for more information or to arrange for a meeting or presentation about the program.