1. Reducing Food Insecurity in Billings SD- 2 Virginia Lee Mermel, PhD, CNS BackPack Meals & Teen Pantry Prog

2. Recognizing the Issue “ Improving school meals is fine, but the real nutrition problem is the number of students who don’t get dinner or weekend meals.”

3. 2007 SD-2 Food Security Stats October 2007 DOW >14,000 Unemployment < 1% 24% (~ 3700) Free or Reduced cost school meals 12% weekend hunger

4. MT’s Hidden Hunger MT’s relatively low unemployment rate masks surprisingly high rates of poverty & hunger due to low paying jobs

5. Looked for BackPack Program Support Local emergency food entities DEALT w ADULTS ONLY!

6. SD-2 Great Recession Hunger Stats ~ 37% of students (>6100) receive F & R meals More qualify but don’t participate > 5100 Free Meals

7. Billings BackPack Prog Stats ‘09 to ‘13: 520/weekend 1 st yr 350 down to 245* 2 nd -3 rd yrs 280-340 4 th yr 216-236 this yr

8. Billings Teen Pantry Stats Fall ‘11 to ‘13: ~ 100 7 th -12 th graders use 6 Teen Pantries each weekend since Oct 2011

9. Summer Leaves Kids Hunger Challenged #1 issue: getting kids in need to feeding sites

10. Summer 2013 Interventions Salvation Army > 600 meals/wk night So & No sides Summer meals to Big Sky & Meadow Lark areas Church Pantries Peace Lutheran-onsite Grace Methodist-onsite St Pius stocked Tumbleweed Teen Pantry

11. Summer 2013 Interventions Tumbleweeds Center & Food, toiletries, laundry counseling Mobile Unit

12. Lesson: Contact Faith Based Groups Discuss Directed & Specific Food Bank Sunday donations

13. What Works Operationally? Use: Proven Practices Existing Systems/Infrastruc ture

14. What Works when Fund Raising? Talk, Talk, Talk: Connect hunger to individual & societal costs “Fed, Fit & Ready to Learn so they grow to be adults who are ready to earn”

15. Dropouts are at > Risk of: Substance abuse Criminal activity Incarceration Teen PG Generational Poverty

16. What Works for Fundraising? Know Your: Stats Goals Outcomes

17. 5th-Year Goals  BackPack Prog participation to 50- 100 students Demonstrate  in standardized test scores  dropout rate in Title 1 neighborhoods

18. Early Outcomes Significant reduction in students’ sense of stress and behavior problems  elementary student discipline issues Older elementary students report less stress 5-8 more students graduate high school/year

19. BackPack Program Connected to other Anti-Poverty Prog School Food Ser. Homeless Liaison Graduation Matters Health Dept City Community Development Dept

20. Thank You, for Your Time and Interest!