The Lowcountry Food Bank (LCFB) announced Wednesday, Oct. 28, that the TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, has donated $5,000 to support LCFB's BackPack Buddies program in the Lowcountry.

The funds will support enrollment of 2,400 food-insecure public school children in the LCFB BackPack Buddies program, which distributes weekend food to children at risk of hunger. TD Charitable Foundation's donation will provide this weekend food during the 2020-2021 school year to schoolchildren in Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, Georgetown, Horry and Jasper counties. According to Feeding America, an estimated 39,000 children in these counties are food insecure.

The LCFB's BackPack Buddies program alleviates weekend hunger among food-insecure public school children by distributing backpacks full of nutritious, kid-friendly food each Friday during the school year. Because free and reduced-price school breakfasts and lunches are not available over the weekend, low-income children are particularly vulnerable to hunger at this time.

The LCFB relies on its community partners, including local nonprofits, businesses and faith-based organizations to help pack and deliver the backpacks. At the school sites, guidance counselors and other staff members distribute the packs to the children enrolled in the program.

The LCFB works closely with partner schools to identify the most food-insecure children. Chronic food insecurity has many adverse consequences for children, including impaired cognitive function, compromised ability to resist illness and anxiety. BackPack Buddies is a significant first step in improving both short- and long-term outcomes among children experiencing hunger.

The Lowcountry Food Bank serves the 10 coastal counties of South Carolina and distributed more than 32 million pounds of food in 2019. For more information go to the Lowcountry Food Bank website and connect with us on www.lowcountryfoodbank.org.