Since school is the only place some children have something to eat, some students are being sent home with food on Fridays.

According to Russell Smith with the Griffin-Spalding Backpack Food For Kids program, “statistics show that nearly 75 percent of Spalding County elementary students receive food assistance through the school system.”

Smith said the Griffin-Spalding Backpack Food For Kids program “exists to address the hunger and food insecurity issues facing many children in our community. Food insecurity issues create various emotional, behavioral, and educational challenges for students.”

The inaugural program is providing food to participating students at four Griffin-Spalding County elementary schools, Ann Street, Atkinson, Jackson Road and Moore. Participating students are determined by a cooperative effort between principals, teachers and school counselors, Smith said.

The Backpack Food For Kids program will supply students with non-perishable, nutritious food items for weekend consumption. All information for parents runs through the student’s school, Smith said.

He said Backpack Food For Kids is run entirely through a network of volunteers. He said volunteers are needed to help in the following areas:

• Packing food items and delivering them to schools each week, which is each Thursday.

• Fundraising ideas, activities, and events advertising, marketing, and creating awareness in our community.

Smith said the following local organizations are partnering with the school system for to initiate the program: Spalding Collaborative, University of Georgia Griffin Campus, First Assembly of God, Griffin-Spalding Chamber of Commerce, Fun 101 FM, Eagles Way Church, Kroger (Griffin) and Five Loaves Two Fish Food Pantry.

“We are looking for more,” Smith said.

Donations to Backpack Food For Kids can be mailed to Spalding Collaborative, P.O. Box 701, Griffin, GA 30224. For additional information, call 678-764-6297, email spaldingcollaborative@gmail.com, or visit http://www.spaldingcollaborative.com/.