NUECES COUNTY, Texas — The Coastal Bend Food Bank and the Nueces County Libraries are gearing up for this summer's Backpack Program.
For five years, the program has helped parents provide nutritious food to feed their children over the weekend while school is out across Nueces County, and Wednesday's Nueces County Commissioner's Meeting will determine whether the program continues.
Asst. county librarian Crystal Drillen hopes it does.
"They have really enjoyed coming to the library and then when we give them this backpack, they are very grateful and thankful that we provide this service for free," she said.
Drillen said the backpacks are free to all children as long as parents register them for the 2024 Summer Reading Program.
"The parents have to be present to fill out the form and they will be receiving the first backpack, the first Friday of June," she said.
The Coastal Bend Food Bank Agency Relations/Retail Partnership Manager Michael Rodriguez said each backpack contains cereal cups, milk boxes, fruit juice boxes, fruit cups, and protein cans.
"We deliver the backpacks to the libraries, and the library coordinators will give the food to the kids that are enrolled in the book program," Rodriguez said.
Each backpack costs $6.99, but Rodriguez said through donations and county funding, all backpacks will be free this summer.
"We normally get funding from the big companies like Valero, Citgos of the world and with that money, we purchase the commodes for the backpacks," Rodriguez said.
Drillen hopes commissioners will approve continuing the partnerships between the Coastal Bend Food Bank and the Nueces County Libraries.
"It will affect the funding, but it will affect emotionally the families in the Nueces County. But we hope that it won't get passed, that it will continue that it at least supports this in the future," Drillen said.