On Thursday the hands of community members, YMCA of Centre County staff, and area school faculty helped prepare backpacks for students.

Each holds enough food for every meal on the weekend.

James Orichosky, Principal of Wingate Elementary School, said it’s a meaningful project for local kids.

“But when you put your hands on a backpack and put that food in there and you know it’s going to help a young child over the weekend, that’s powerful, powerful,” Orichosky said.

It’s part of  the backpack program for the YMCA of Centre County, which serves 8 school districts, 5 in Centre and 3 in Clearfield County.

Orichosky said as a principal, he sees first hand the impact this project makes.

“Just being able to know that over a weekend a student is going to have food, is going to come in nourished, there’s nothing better we can do. The partnership is just amazing and that’s so important to these students,” Orichosky said.

And during the summer, the anti-hunger initiative continues with a lunch program providing kids with a meal every day of the week.

Mel Curtis, Branch Director of the Moshannon Valley YMCA, said currently they reach over 1,130 students.

“Quite honestly, we’ve probably only penetrated 10-15% of the people who really need this food,” Curtis said.

And it comes with expenses. 
Curtis said it takes nearly $315,000 to support both programs; and a recent grant from Walmart will definitely help.

“I didn’t know how much this check was going to be presented today. When they said $70,000, I was just like, that is amazing. It is amazing to have that kind of partnership,”  Orichosky said. 

“$70,000 to the Anti-Hungry program is everything,” Curtis said.

This is the second year Walmart has contributed to the cause.

Brian Rosenberger, General Manager for the Walmart Distribution Center in Woodland, said “And you know, Walmart, what we try and do is we try and make a difference in our communities so that people can live better.”