WHI Hobbs Backpack Program

About

IMAGINE………………………. It’s Sunday night and you are hungry. When was your last meal? A few hours ago? Yesterday? What if it was Friday at lunchtime? Many of the children in our Hobbs, NM do not have to imagine, this is their reality beginning every Friday evening! These children face an entire weekend of little to, no food in their homes. The Weekend Hunger Initiative (WHI) Hobbs backpack program, a Hobbs, NM non-profit organization, began delivering bags of food to Hobbs students on September 13, 2013. WHI Hobbs solely focuses on the weekend nutritional needs of children in Hobbs. We are the centralized contact point for referrals, we supply the location to pack the backpacks and provide assistance to partner organizations. Hobbs is in a prosperous time, but many families are finding it difficult to live here. Rent has increased dramatically; utilities, food and gas have all gone up. Even some of our middle class cannot afford to live in Hobbs. These children do not have any choices; they cannot drive themselves to the store for food or even ask for help. Many of them have parents who are working, but just do not make enough to make ends meet. These children need a hand up! They need your help. Please do not hesitate to contact WHI Hobbs at 575-441-2732 if you have questions or concerns. HUNGER FACTS 1. New Mexico is number one in the country for child food insecurity (meaning having little to no food on the weekends). 2. 23% of Lea County's children are food insecure. 3. Of these children, 29% do not qualify for the school food program. 4. Of households with children, nearly 60% report utilizing the school breakfast/lunch program, but the households they live in still require additional help with food assistance. 5. 44% of households with children report their family was not eating enough because they could not afford food. 6. A USDA study indicates that under-nutrition experiences by children during periods of growth impacts their behavior, their school performance, and their overall cognitive development. WHI Hobbs Backpack Program meets the needs of our hungry children by sending a bag of nutritious, non-perishable, child-friendly food home from school with the child every Friday afternoon. When purchasing any of the highest priority items please make sure they are: 7.5 oz in weight or below. Anything large we cannot use. Pop-top cans which make it easy to open and do require any preparation. The following locations are the most cost effective places to purchase these products. Vienna Sausage - Walmart - $.43 Chef Boy Ardee - Walmart - $.75 Fruit Cups - Costco - $7.89 for 20 count Pudding Cups - Walmart - $2.78 for 12 count or Costco 7.29 for 36 count Pop-tarts - $8.39 for 48 count or $6.15 for 36 count CONTACT Clay Martin Executive Director 575-708-0831 clay.martin@whihobbs.com Leslie Pfalzgraf Community Liaison 575-441-2732 leslie.p@whihobbs.com WHI Hobbs 1300 E Scharbauer 4008 N. Grimes #275 (mailing) Hobbs, NM 88240 Elementary Schools Booker T. Washington: 575-433-2100 Broadmoor: 575-433-1500 College Lane: 575-433-2600 Coronado: 575-433-2300 Edison: 575-433-1600 Jefferson: 575-433-1700 Mills: 575-433-2400 Murray: 575-433-2700 Sanger: 575-433-1800 Southern Heights: 575-433-1900 Stone: 575-433-2500 Junior High Schools Highland: 575-433-1200 Houston: 575-433-1300 Heizer: 575-433-1100 Hobbs High Schools Freshmen: 575-433-0300 High School: 575-433-0200 Your information will not be given to anyone and will only be used for WHI Hobbs Backpack Program. Thank you for helping our hungry children!