ORBIS AND BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK WAUKESHA COUNTY CHAPTER WORK TO COMBAT CHILDHOOD HUNGER IN LOCAL COMMUNITY

Partnership unites community members and resources to provide supplementary weekend food to students in the Kettle Moraine School District

OCONOMOWOC, Wis. — May 28, 2024 — ORBIS® Corporation, an international leader in reusable packaging, partners with Blessings in a Backpack of Waukesha County (BIAB) to provide weekend nutrition to students at Magee Elementary School who may lack access to nutritious food on the weekends. While the students are provided meals on the free and reduced lunch programs at school during the week, they often lack resources on Saturday and Sunday. Lack of nutrition can result in physical health problems, shortened attention spans, lower IQs and poorer grade achievements.

This school year, Blessings in a Backpack Waukesha County Chapter is working to feed over 3,400 children at 42 schools in Waukesha, Oconomowoc, Sussex, Hartland Lakeside, Kettle Moraine and Menomonee Falls districts.

As more than 11,000 children struggle with hunger on the weekends in Waukesha County alone, ORBIS hopes its lead sponsorship of Magee Elementary will increase awareness and inspire other businesses and community members to get involved, ultimately decreasing the number of hungry children to zero.

“ORBIS has been working with Blessings in a Backpack Waukesha County Chapter since 2015, and with our headquarters being in Waukesha County, this cause hits close to home for a lot of our people,” said Norm Kukuk, president at ORBIS and board member of Blessings in a Backpack of Waukesha County. “It’s been inspiring to see ORBIS employees unite around this cause, donating their time and expertise, and we hope our support can empower others to give back to their own communities.”

As a leader in the movement to end childhood hunger, Blessings in a Backpack offers many ways to get involved, including partnerships, event sponsorships, corporate employee engagement events and volunteer opportunities to help feed children in our community.

“Corporate partnerships are critical in sustaining the Blessings in a Backpack program of feeding kids on the weekend. When we receive support from a company like ORBIS, it makes an immense impact in the community,” said Susan Reed, managing director at Blessings in a Backpack of Waukesha County. “The consequences of food insecurity are more than just a growling stomach, so whether it’s involvement through donations or partnerships with our chapter, it makes all the difference.” 

It takes $5 to feed one child for one weekend and $175 for the entire school year. To learn more about how you can support Blessings in a Backpack Waukesha County Chapter, visit https://waukesha.blessingsinabackpack.org/.

About Blessings in a Backpack Waukesha County

Our mission is simple: we provide food on the weekends for school-aged children who might otherwise go hungry. We are working to end the weekend hunger gap for kids. Blessings in a Backpack Waukesha County Chapter works to raise awareness of childhood hunger and improve the lives of local children who depend on school meals as their primary source of nutrition by providing food when school meals are unavailable. To donate or get involved with the Waukesha Chapter, please go to our website:  www.Waukesha.blessingsinabackpack.org