Every week the Mountain Lion Backpack Program prepares weekend meals for all of the Altoona School District’s elementary students who have asked for assistance.

 

Each pack includes a variety of kid-friendly food.

 

Ashley Gay-Vocco, the organization’s program director, said it’s important to include items that are nutritious.

 

Gay-Vocco said it takes nearly 80 volunteers each week to help feed about 1,400 students.

 

She said on average it costs $100 to prepare weekend meals for one student over an entire school year and the non-profit relies entirely on donations and fundraising to purchase and hand out the meals.

 

Gay-Vocco said it’s a big success to be able to help out every elementary school in the district.

 

“Kids especially go home to empty refrigerators, the go home to empty cupboards and when you ask on Monday morning when the last time he or she ate, some of them will tell you Friday at lunch at school. So it is very important to recognize in our community that that need is here and that those kid are hungry,” Gay-Vocco said.