CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

COMMUNITY Backpacks helping hungry children, veterans

Portsmouth Herald - 3/26/2017

Sitting in some closet in almost every home in America is a backpack. For most, this backpack is a way to carry books, gym clothes or a laptop. Backpacks come in many shapes and sizes. Some have wheels, cool designs, or a child’s favorite character from the movie “Frozen.” Often these backpacks sit unused, making very little difference in that owner’s life. However, for some a backpack can mean the difference between a nutritious meal and going hungry.

Every day in America 1 in 6 people face hunger, many of them children. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports households with children experience a significantly higher food insecurity rate than households without (20.6 versus 12.2 percent). Food insecurity exists in every county in America, with 17.5 million households trying to survive in a state of food insecurity. It is believed at least 49 million Americans struggle to put food on the table and 13 million children live in households that lack the means to get enough to eat on a regular basis.

The fact is hunger isn’t caused by a lack of food. There is more than enough food to feed every person in America. If every American who was financially able donated $10 to the right food charity, upwards of 100 meals could be provided for those in need. In the battle against hunger, some have found the backpack to be a powerful ally.

Every Friday afternoon children across New Hampshire prepare for a weekend away from school. Most look forward to the two days, but others face uncertainty. These children risk spending the weekend with little or no food. But a simple, yet ingenious solution is being used by two charities working to end hunger in America.

Every Friday, End 68 Hours of Hunger ( www.end68hoursofhunger.org) and the N.H. Food Bank ( http://nhfoodbank.org/) deliver backpacks to New Hampshire schools for children in need. The concept is simple: to provide children with food security for themselves and their families. A backpack is filled with nutritious food and given to the child.

Imagine the relief that child must feel simply knowing they will be able to eat. The food, through the efforts of End 68 Hours of Hunger and the N.H. Food Bank and generous donations on our part, will serve as a life line to a family in need. However, the power of the backpack does not end there.

For many former and current members of the U.S. military, a backpack, also known as a rucksack, is more than just a simple accessory. Their rucksack is a lifeline. Their rucksack contains every worldly possession they would need to survive any mission we as a nation would ask of them. A soldier’s rucksack can weigh anywhere between 60 to 100 pounds.

Add that weight to all the other gear a soldier wears, such as body armor and a weapon, and most civilians would buckle at the knees, or fall over like a turtle on their back. Our soldiers will march for miles, jump out of airplanes and rappel from helicopters with barely a noise wearing upwards of a 100 pounds and sometimes more. For as heavy as that rucksack may seem to some, in reality our soldiers are in fact carrying the weight of a free nation on their backs.

Some of you might think when a member of the U.S. military takes off that rucksack and leaves the military that there is some sense of relief, but that’s not true. When a veteran takes off that rucksack and walks into the civilian world, they are walking into a world naked. They are often leaving behind the only job they have ever known, and the brothers and sisters they served with, often in hostile conditions. They are walking into the civilian world suffering from physical and emotional wounds.

Far too many suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, with some believing suicide is the only answer. The suicide rate among our veterans is 50 percent higher than those who did not serve in the military. Veterans Count is an organization dedicated to supporting our military and their families ( http://vetscount.org/nh).

Veterans Count aids members of the military, veterans and their families no matter how big or small the problem. One of the local events sponsored by Veterans Count is the fifth annual Pack-n-Boots 5K Race, held July 4. Using the rucksack to symbolize the strength and courage of those who served on our behalf and their families, the Pack-n-Boots race is your opportunity to show your support for veterans and active duty service men and women, both physically and monetarily.

Make this a family activity, or sponsor a team. There is no better way to honor the birth of our nation than to participate in an event created to support the very men and women who served in defense of our nation ( http://packandbootsrace.com).

Sometimes a backpack is more than just a backpack. A backpack can symbolize support, caring, and hope. Please consider donating and supporting these endeavors, so the next time you look in your closet, you will be reminded how a simple backpack can make a difference in the life of a person in need.

—Jeff Chidester was raised in Portsmouth and is a lifelong resident of New Hampshire. He is the host of the Clear Channel radio show “New Hampshire Perspective with Jeff Chidester,” which can be heard on News Radio WQSO – 96.7 FM and New Hampshire’s News Network WGIR – 610 AM. E-mail him at nhperspective@gmail.com.