About

The Friday Backpack Program is a statewide program in which food banks provide children with ready-to-eat food in backpacks on Fridays. University of Missouri Extension supplements this program by providing educational materials to the organizations that assemble the backpacks. Every month we mail four items to these organizations so that one item per week can be added to the backpacks (see sidebar for list of items). This project is funded through USDA's SNAP Ed.

Each region of the state has a slightly different name and way of implementing the program. Therefore, you will have to contact your local food pantry to discuss the process. Other regions may refer to this program as: "Backsnack" "Backpacks for Friday" "Buddy Packs" and "Backpack Buddies"

Quick facts

With our Friday Backpack materials, we currently reach...

• over 17,800 students
• 140 different organizations
• 92 counties out of 114 in Missouri

To be added to mailing list

Contact Sarah March
573-884-0836
pickerells@missouri.edu

You will need to provide:

• Agency name and address (must be located in Missouri)
• Contact person's name, phone number and email
• Quantity

Funded in part by USDA SNAP.
Running out of money for food? Contact your local food stamp office or go online to dss.mo.gov/fsd/fstamp/. For more information, call MU Extension's Show Me Nutrition line at 1-888-515-0016.