Resources

The NE Tacoma Healthy Kids Coalition Backpack Program

Participating Schools: NE Tacoma Browns Point, Crescent Heights, and Meeker

What is the Backpack Program?

The Backpack Program meets the needs of children by providing them with nutritious and easy-to-prepare food to take home on the weekends and school vacations when other resources are not available. This program is modeled after the Backpack Program sponsored by Food Banks across the country. Our program is sponsored through generous volunteers and community partners. We have a dedicated team that helps make this program possible however, the children receiving the food packs are kept confidential with the school social worker and school counselor. Volunteers fill packs with two days’ worth of kid-friendly meals and deliver them to the schools. The school counselor will distribute the packs every Friday.

The program is intended to help those children whose families find it difficult to have enough food for the entire month. It is our hope this program will improve the health, behavior and achievement of our students.

If you believe your child could benefit from this program, we encourage you to sign up by emailing or calling Meeker Counselor, Gina Coheley, at 253-571-6557 or by email at gcohele@tacoma.k12.wa.us.  Please include your Meeker student’s first and last name.  We also serve younger siblings at Northeast Tacoma elementary buildings and siblings at Stadium high school.

The Northeast Tacoma Healthy Kids Coalition supports students and their families in NE Tacoma by consistently meeting basic needs to strengthen our community and set students up for success.

If you know of a family in need, please reach out to either one of our building representative, Gina Coheley.

Email Gina Coheley