According to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, thirteen percent of local households are food insecure — meaning that they have uncertain access to enough food to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This includes one is six southern, middle Tennessee children.

Lynchburg Elementary’s staff offers a simple, discrete solution to that problem … the Friday Backpack Program. Each Friday, bags filled with non-perishable food and snacks for the weekend are discreetly slipped into students backpacks by their homeroom teacher.

Those bags are filled with food supplied by Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee as well as local donations. It you’d like to contribute food, you can drop off individually wrapped snacks like granola bars, cheese or peanut butter crackers, microwave popcorn, or fruit cups at the LES Main office. Locals can also make a monetary donation to LES for the program.

Pam Duffus, who oversees the program for LES, says on average they send home around 55 bags each week.

Parents or guardians of student who wish to participate should contact Pam Duffus ([email protected]) to sign up. In the email, parents should mention whether their student(s) are bus riders or car riders. •

{The Lynchburg Times is the only independently owned and operated newspaper in Moore County … covering Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}