With five schools on waiting lists, LSS seeks support for child feeding program

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Lutheran Social Services food pantry saw a steady rise in the number of people served – 21% higher than the same time last year. LSS is also seeing a growing need for food for young people.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

Currently, LSS delivers food to children at 13 schools in both Duval and Clay counties.

The Backpack program distributes bags of snacks and easily prepared meals to 800-plus students every Friday. These children rely on free or reduced-price school meals during the week, which help struggling families make it through the weekend.

Five additional schools have reached out to LSS to participate in the Backpack program, but LSS has had to place them on a waiting list due to a lack of funding.

Read: 100th year of fire prevention week in the City of Jacksonville

“No child should go hungry in our community,” LSS president and CEO Bill Brian said in a recent interview. Brian continued, “Hunger is an issue we can solve if we all work together. As LSS continues working hard to keep our pantry open and running five days a week, we are asking the community to support our efforts by sponsoring a child as a monthly subscriber.”

How the community can help.

There are two main ways that the community can come together to help fight child hunger through LSS.

The first is to volunteer for shifts in the pantry.

LSS also offers opportunities for individuals and organizations to sponsor a food drive.

Finally, LSS is asking the community to sponsor a student through the Backpack program. For $15 a month, a sponsor can provide one student and their family with food assistance every week.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

For more information on getting involved and helping click here or visit http://lssjax.org.