West Concord backpack program off to good start

West Concord’s summer backpack program is off to a flying start, organizers said, as they aim to help those students who rely on free and reduced lunches during the school year.
“It’s been amazing what some of our people have done,” said Shannon Lisowski, who along with Lisa Westlund, coordinates the program.
The idea for the summer program, she said, came from the realization that for many of the students who relied on the weekend backpack program during the school year there would be a long summer of not having enough food.
Backpack programs have increasingly become a way for church and community groups to help meet the nutritional needs of students on weekends.
Triton is one of those districts where backpacks containing food items that youngsters can prepare themselves are sent home with the student after school on Friday.
The West Concord program, Lisowski said, provides a backpack of food once a week.
Lisowski said that the community has stepped up to help as people have stopped by the public library and Farmers State Bank to drop off food. Financial donations have also been received through Trinity Lutheran Church, she said.
The group has also received some funds from Thrivent Financial, Lisowski said.
When people hear of a specific need, she said, they respond. As an example, when it be