For many children, the meals served at school are an important source of consistent nutrition. When the school week ends, however, families may face the difficult question of how to make food last through the weekend.
A 2024 grant from the Forest County Unrestricted Endowment helped Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania provide meals and snacks to children through its BackPack Program at East Forest and West Forest schools.
The program sends students home each week with child-friendly food they can eat or prepare when school meals are not available. Bags are also distributed before longer school breaks, helping families bridge the days when children are away from the classroom.
With support from the endowment, Second Harvest purchased approximately 1,290 pounds of food during the 2024–2025 school year. That amount was equivalent to more than 1,075 meals for local children.
At East Forest School, the program reaches a significant share of the student body.
“East Forest Jr./Sr. High School FCCLA students and some of the staff have assisted 48 students this year,” shared Shenessa Rosetti, BackPack Program Coordinator and School Nurse at East Forest School. “That is 37% of our student population that Second Harvest Food Bank supports each week.”
Those numbers speak to a need that is often easy to miss. Food insecurity does not always look the same from one family to another. A parent may be working long hours and still struggling to cover groceries, transportation, utilities, and other basic expenses. Children may have food during the school day but fewer dependable options once they return home.
Rosetti described one family led by a single mother who frequently works nights and evenings. The food provided through the BackPack Program gives her children access to meals and snacks they can manage on their own.
“The weekend food program provides food that they can grab and prepare on their own,” she explained. “The program also allows families to shift some money to pay for other food during the week or put gas in the car so they can get to work.”
That breathing room matters. A bag of food may help cover the weekend, but it can also give a parent more flexibility to buy groceries for the rest of the week or make sure there is enough gas to get to work.
“The East Forest School community is extremely grateful for this opportunity and support,” Rosetti added.
The BackPack Program is made possible through the efforts of many people. Second Harvest provides the food and program structure, while East Forest FCCLA students and school staff help ensure it reaches children each week. Their involvement makes the program feel less like an outside service and more like neighbors quietly looking out for one another.
That spirit is at the heart of the Forest County Unrestricted Endowment.
Established in 2010 and originally funded by Bill and Judy McDaid, the endowment supports initiatives, events, services, and other activities identified as community needs in Forest County. Because the fund is unrestricted, it can respond to priorities as they emerge rather than being limited to one specific issue.
Since 2019, the endowment has awarded 40 grants to 20 unique grantees, distributing a total of $38,620 to organizations serving Forest County residents.
The projects supported by the fund may look different from year to year, but each begins with the same question: what does the community need now?
During the 2024–2025 school year, one answer was dependable food for children when school was not in session. Through the BackPack Program, that support reached students at East Forest and West Forest schools in a direct and practical way.
Bill and Judy McDaid’s original gift helped establish a resource that continues to serve Forest County years later. In this case, their generosity became more than 1,075 meals, fewer uncertain weekends for children, and a little more room in the budgets of families working hard to meet everyday needs.
Those who would like to support the Forest County Unrestricted Endowment may make a gift online or mail a check to Bridge Builders Community Foundations. For more information, contact BBCF at 814-677-8687.
