Students on the receiving end of Back the Pack are just as impacted by this full-circle initiative. On average, students who receive free or reduced meals on school days will experience a 68-hour gap between Friday afternoon and Monday morning without access to any food. When hunger is present, academics and personal growth become a luxury.
Students are unable to focus or retain class information and are more likely to struggle socially and emotionally as well. Likewise, a child who experiences prolonged hunger also suffers from neurological changes, as their brain is rewired by the trauma, leading to lifelong deficits. The widespread service of Back the Pack results in life-changing impacts for current families as well as future generations of York County.
