Marge Govoni, vice chair of the RSU 14 School Board and Ryan Roderick, the district’s kitchen manager and nutrition director, reflected on the district’s backpack program, which helps provide food for families dealing with food insecurity.

Govoni recalled how she helped start the program in 2011. She said that she heard from the Hannaford in North Windham that it wanted to help start a backpack program. She was asked by the district to serve as the program coordinator.

In the decade-plus since, the program has grown to cover 152 students from pre-K to sixth grade, across the district’s three elementary schools. That number, Govoni said, has slowly crept up in the years since the pandemic, and she expects an increase if the economy continues to decline.

Although they have attempted to expand the program to the middle and high schools, Govoni said that it didn’t work out due to greater social stigmas among older children about taking food home. However, she did note that they will provide backpacks to older students, but that the schools have to figure out a way of getting it to the student.

“Nobody ages out of the program unless they leave the school,” said Govoni.

One of the major issues that the program has struggled with has been funding, she said. The program is not part of the district’s budget, meaning that they have to raise money from outside sources. There was a period of time where Hannaford gave the program a certain dollar amount that they could use to buy food.

Since then, however, Hannaford has changed the way it partners with the program and, with food prices continuing to rise, Govoni said that they have done a lot more “soliciting,” taking out pieces in the newspaper and partnering with local institutions such as the Police Department, Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club and formerly Windham Weaponry. Nevertheless, Govoni said that there has yet to be a situation where a student had asked for food, but is unable to receive it.

The school district’s website also encourages individuals to donate, with the cost to sponsor one child for a year being $200. Govoni said the vast majority of the money they receive goes toward food for the program, with their only other notable expense being tote bags for bringing the food to the school.

In past years, the backpack program rotated every other week between Windham Primary School and Windham Middle School, but since the pandemic, it was moved to Windham Middle School in order to centralize everything.

Govoni praised volunteers, who start packing at 8:30 a.m. and have all 152 bags packed within half an hour. She said that schools hand out the bags on Thursday, so that if a child isn’t there on Thursday, they can still get the bag on Friday.

Roderick said he works with the program to help purchase and store food. The program, he said, operates on a seven-week cycle menu, which ensures that families get a wide variety of shelf-stable and affordable foods. Most of the meals are incredibly simple to make, he said, some not requiring cooking, and the program’s aim is to give students food they want to eat while also making sure that they’re eating healthy.

Meals offered by the program include a breakfast-themed bag containing pancakes and muffins; canned pasta sauces and dried pasta dishes; as well as proteins such as peanut butter, canned tuna and chicken; fruit cups and granola bars. However, Roderick said the program does not provide fresh vegetables due to their perishability.

The program does not cover students who have particular food allergies and restrictions, because, according to Govoni, it is very difficult for them to know where the food was made, and they don’t want to be responsible for adverse reactions. However, one teacher at Raymond Elementary School stocks bags for students with allergies, taking out peanut-based food.

Once or twice a year, the program sends out a survey to families asking what foods are the favorites, and what ideas and suggestions they have for additions to the menu. Govoni and Roderick said most of the feedback is thankful and positive, and that it is wonderful for them to hear that the program is having a positive impact on people’s lives.

When school is not in session, the program has an arrangement with the Windham Food Pantry to assist the families they cover. Govoni, who works with the pantry, praised Windham as an extremely giving and supportive community, noting that the shelves there are always filled, particularly with perishable items such as fresh meat and vegetables that the backpack program is unable to provide.

Govoni and Roderick said that in the near term, the program is always focused on finding new partners. They recently hosted a fundraiser with Erik’s Church, and are also looking to set up partnerships similar to the one previously held with Windham Weaponry, where staff can choose to have a certain amount of dollars taken out of their paycheck to support the program.