MANKATO, MN (May 18, 2015) – The Bemis Company Foundation recently awarded a $5,000 grant to Mankato’s BackPack Food Program, an initiative of Feeding Our Communities Partners (FOCP). The BackPack Food Program discreetly provides low-income students at all eleven Mankato public elementary schools with packs of nutritious, child-friendly meals to take home for weekends and school breaks.
“We will use this funding to provide weekend hunger relief for the 740 kids that we currently serve,” said Melinda Wedzina, FOCP’s executive director, “and for expansion of the program in the upcoming school year. This funding comes at the right time.”
During the 2015-16 school year, the BackPack Food Program will expand to include the four county elementary schools of Maple River East and West, Lake Crystal, and Saint Clair.
“Supporting our local Bemis communities with our contributions to effective non-profit organizations, like Feeding Our Communities Partners, is the mission of the Bemis Company Foundation,” said Kim Wetzel, foundation director. “We applaud their concerted efforts with the BackPack Food Program and are happy they operate in the Mankato community where we have our Bemis Healthcare Packaging facility. Without this program's seamless and thoughtful delivery of food stuffs, many students and their younger siblings would be under-nourished and less able to thrive.”
About Bemis Company, Inc. (“Bemis” or the “Company”): Bemis is a major supplier of flexible packaging used by leading food, consumer products, healthcare, and other companies worldwide. Founded in 1858, Bemis reported 2014 net sales from continuing operations of $4.3 billion. Bemis has a strong technical base in polymer chemistry, film extrusion, coating and laminating, printing, and converting. Headquartered in Neenah, Wisconsin, Bemis employs approximately 17,000 individuals worldwide. More information about Bemis is available at www.bemis.com
About Feeding Our Communities Partners: FOCP is a nonprofit organization focused on ending hunger locally. With a mission of optimizing collaboration and developing initiatives to decrease hunger, FOCP directs the BackPack Food Program, a service-gap initiative to relieve childhood weekend hunger. FOCP is a partner agency of the Greater Mankato Area United Way. For further information, please visit: www.FeedingOurCommunitiesPartners.org