When some children who receive free or reduced school lunch go home on Friday afternoons, they may not eat much, if at all, until they return to school on Monday.

Volunteers of Oxford’s Blessings in a Backpack program are working to combat these cases of childhood hunger for the third year in a row. They kicked-off the program last Wednesday, packing over 50 bags with food for children in Oxford.

Through the program, packed bags of non-perishable food are provided to the schools on Fridays and are distributed to Oxford students who qualify for free or reduced lunches and whose parents opt into the program.

Chairperson of Oxford’s Blessings in a Backpack Committee Cheryl Verbeke said the program strives to bring meals to students that are at risk for food insecurity throughout the school year. According to the Oxford Blessings in a Backpack website, that means 23% of school children in Oxford.

“We want to make sure the kids don’t go hungry during the weekends when the schools aren’t there to provide meals,” said Verbeke.

Having started as a pilot program at Lakeville Elementary in 2012, the Oxford chapter of the Blessings in a Backpack program has now grown to include students from each of Oxford’s elementary schools, Oxford Early Learning Center and Oxford Middle School. Oxford BIB is currently feeding over 50 students throughout the district.

“This is the first year we’re providing this program to the middle school,” she added. “Currently we only have a handful of kids, but we’re sure there will be more kids (added to the program) as the word gets out.”

The program provided meals to over 100 students during the 2015-16 school year.

As a nonprofit organization, the greater BIB program feeds over 83,000 children throughout 46 states and the District of Columbia.

According to Verbeke, the Oxford program has also received help from community sponsors including Curtis Insurance, JP’s Piano Moving, Meijer, and the North Woodward Community Foundation, located in Troy.

Volunteers are welcome to stop in at JP’s Piano Moving (25 Center St.) every Wednesday throughout the school year at 4 p.m. to pack bags for students.

To volunteer or to make a donation, please call Cheryl Verbeke at (248) 909-5689 or visit www.blessingsinabackpackmi.org/oxford/.