HUDSON AREA BACKPACK PROGRAM INCClosed
Closed
Programs
Closed
This organization closed in 2025. It filed a final 990 indicating termination and no longer appears as active in IRS records, as it is absent from the EO Business Master File and Pub78 List.
Program 1 [2021]
PROGRAM GROWTH-EXPANDED PROGRAMMING DURING COVID-19 VIA EMERGENCY DRIVE-THRU GROCERY DISTRIBUTION.-MOVED INVENTORY AND OPERATIONS THREE TIMES.-EXPANDED COVID-19 EMERGENCY DRIVE-THRU DISTRIBUTION TO YEAR-ROUND SERVICE MODEL.-SERVED 13,625 INDIVIDUALS FROM JUNE 2020-MAY 2021.-PACKED/DISTRIBUTED 3,055 BACKPACKS TOTALING 28,000 POUNDS OF FOOD.-PROVIDED 14,352 INDIVIDUAL SNACK ITEMS TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, TOTALING 1,140 POUNDS OF FOOD.-DISTRIBUTED 700,000 POUNDS OF FOODDRIVE-THRU GROCERY DISTRIBUTIONOUR GREATEST STRENGTH IS OUR ABILITY TO BE AGILE AND RESPONSIVE TO THE CHANGING NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WE SERVE. BECAUSE OF THE COVID-19 CRISIS, AND THE ADDITION OF THE DRIVE-THRU GROCERY DISTRIBUTION, WE RADICALLY CHANGED OUR ABILITY TO GET FAMILIES FOOD/ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE. AN AVERAGE OF 350 FAMILIES VISITED OUR PROGRAM EACH MONTH AND RECEIVED $400 WORTH OF GROCERIES, WHICH GAVE THEM $400 TO SPEND ON OTHER BILLS. WISE FISCAL MANAGEMENT, WHICH INCLUDED SOURCING THE BEST QUALITY, LOWEST COST FOOD AVAILABLE, ALLOWED US TO NAVIGATE THAT EXPLOSIVE GROWTH. IN 2017, WE DISTRIBUTED 6,800 POUNDS OF FOOD TO FAMILIES. IN 2021, WE DISTRIBUTED NEARLY 700,000 POUNDS!THE DRIVE-THRU GROCERY DISTRIBUTION IS A BREAKTHROUGH PROGRAM MODEL ALLOWING US TO DELIVER DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT SERVICE TO UNDER-SERVED POPULATIONS OF CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY. EACH MONTH, ALL CHILDREN, GROUPED ACCORDING TO AGES 0-5, 6-11 AND 12-18 YEARS, BENEFITED NEARLY EQUALLY FROM THIS PROGRAM. THIS IS ESPECIALLY INTERESTING TO US BECAUSE IT DEMONSTRATES WE ARE ABLE TO ENGAGE FAMILIES WITH PRE-SCHOOL AND SECONDARY-AGE STUDENTS IN WAYS THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO IN THE PAST. DUE TO COVID-19, WE ALSO OPENED OUR PROGRAM TO SENIOR CITIZENS. FAMILIES ENJOY BOTH THE CONVENIENCE AND ANONYMITY OF THE DRIVE-THRU DISTRIBUTION. WE WERE ABLE TO GET MORE FAMILIES MORE FOOD WITH THIS PROGRAM MODEL. OUR FAMILIES CONSISTENTLY REQUEST BETTER QUALITY AND PERISHABLE FOOD, INCLUDING FRESH PRODUCE, AND THIS MODEL ALLOWED US TO DELIVER THAT. WE OFFER DIFFERENT TIMES/DAYS OF THE WEEK FOR FOOD PICK-UP. ON AVERAGE, EACH MONTH, 592 KIDS, 481 ADULTS AND 63 SENIORS BENEFITED FROM THIS PROGRAM. LAST YEAR, 94% OF THE PARTICIPANTS WERE CHILDREN AGES 0-18 AND THEIR FAMILIES AND 6% WERE SENIOR CITIZENS. NEARLY 14,000 INDIVIDUALS WERE IMPACTED BY THIS PROGRAM IN 2020.WE ARE CURRENTLY LOCATED IN A TRIPLE GARAGE SPACE, DOUBLE DEPTH, LOCATED AT ST. PATRICK'S CHURCH IN HUDSON. SEVERAL FACTORS ARE CHALLENGING ABOUT THIS SPACE. FIRST OF ALL, DURING COVID-19, THE CHURCH BUILDING ITSELF WAS UNDER UTILIZED, ALLOWING OUR PROGRAM TO SPREAD OUT THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING. ST. PAT'S IS ONE OF THE LARGER CHURCH CONGREGATIONS IN HUDSON AND HAS GOTTEN BUSIER AS COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS HAVE RELAXED. THE SPACE USAGE IS GETTING DIFFICULT TO COORDINATE. THE SPACE WE USE TO STAGE INVENTORY AND PACK FOOD IS IN THEIR FELLOWSHIP HALL, A WIDELY USED SPACE IN THEIR BUILDING.FURTHER, OUR WAREHOUSE SPACE IS CONNECTED TO THE FELLOWSHIP HALL BY A SINGLE DOOR AND NARROW HALLWAY. IT IS ONLY POSSIBLE TO MOVE PALLETS FROM THE WAREHOUSE TO THE FELLOWSHIP HALL BY GOING OUTSIDE, THROUGH THE PARKING LOT, WHICH IS DIFFICULT IN THE WINTER. OFTEN INVENTORY MUST BE STORED ON SHELVING IN THE WAREHOUSE AND THEN MOVED BY HAND INTO THE PACKING AREA. BECAUSE OUR DISTRIBUTION IS SO LARGE, WE HAVE TO STAGE THE AREA ON TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS TO SET UP.OUR PROGRAM HAS GROWN TO CAPACITY IN OUR CURRENT LOCATION. SERVICE WILL SUFFER IF WE ARE UNABLE TO FIND A NEW SPACE SOLUTION SOON. OUR BOARD IS COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO SERVE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY. BY REMOVING BARRIERS TO SERVICE, OUR ORGANIZATION HAS CREATED A WAY FOR FAMILIES TO ACCESS FOOD IN HUDSON. CURBSIDE DELIVERY IS CONVENIENT AND HAS REMOVED STIGMA SURROUNDING SERVICES SINCE PARTICIPANTS REMAIN IN THEIR CAR. HOME DELIVERY MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR WORKING PARENTS OR OTHERS WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION TO ACCESS FOOD. THE WORKING POOR FAMILIES IN HUDSON AND ST. CROIX COUNTY CAN GREATLY BENEFIT FROM BEING ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO PROGRAMS THAT CAN HELP THEM STRETCH THEIR DOLLARS.STAFFINGALL PROGRAMS ARE IMPLEMENTED BY DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS FROM THE COMMUNITY. THE HUDSON AREA BACKPACK PROGRAM IS SERVED BY A 13-MEMBER VOLUNTEER BOARD.FUTURE PLANS AND CONSIDERATIONSWE RECENTLY COMPLETED A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS LED BY PROPEL NONPROFITS TO CREATE A CO-LOCATION WITH THE HUDSON FOOD SHELF AND OPERATION HELP OF HUDSON. A FUNDAMENTAL GOAL OF THIS PROCESS WAS TO ENHANCE THE AVAILABILITY AND COORDINATION OF SERVICES FOR FAMILIES, CHILDREN, SENIORS AND OTHER AT-RISK POPULATIONS. AT THIS TIME, THE FOOD SHELF HAS DECIDED NOT TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE NEW LOCATION. HOWEVER, OPERATION HELP AND THE HUDSON AREA BACKPACK PROGRAM ARE COMMITTED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS NEW INITIATIVE.WHILE WE ARE HOPEFUL AND EXCITED ABOUT THIS DEVELOPMENT, WE MUST BE REALISTIC THAT, IN THE MEANTIME, OUR ORGANIZATION WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE PREDOMINANT FOOD SOURCE FOR FOOD INSECURE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY.WE ARE CURRENTLY PILOTING A NEW POP-UP PANTRY CALLED FRESH HARVEST, WHICH IS MODELED AFTER TODAY'S HARVEST IN OAKDALE, MN. ON THE OPPOSITE WEEK OF THE DRIVE-THRU GROCERY DISTRIBUTION, THIS POP-UP PANTRY IS AVAILABLE TO ALL AND OFFERS FRESH PRODUCE, BAKERY, FROZEN MEATS/MEALS AND DAIRY PRODUCTS FOR CUSTOMERS TO CHOOSE FROM. CUSTOMERS CAN TAKE THE AMOUNT OF FOOD THEY NEED AND NO REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THIS PROGRAM IS ONLY OFFERED TWICE A MONTH ON WEDNESDAYS FROM 9AM-NOON DUE TO LIMITED SPACE AT THE CHURCH. IN JUNE 2021, 500 INDIVIDUALS BENEFITED FROM THIS PROGRAM.WE HAVE ENTERED INTO A PARTNERSHIP WITH CORNERSTONE CHURCH OF HUDSON AND THE HUDSON FOOD SHELF TO PROVIDE A MOBILE PANTRY. CORNERSTONE PROVIDES THE BUS AND VOLUNTEERS. HUDSON AREA BACKPACK PROGRAM AND THE FOOD SHELF PROVIDE THE FOOD INVENTORY. THIS PROGRAM CURRENTLY TARGETS THE LOW INCOME HOUSING AREAS OF HUDSON ON A BIWEEKLY BASIS. CORNERSTONE CHURCH DOES NOT COLLECT DATA ON PARTICIPANTS BUT RECORDS75-100 VISITS EACH TIME THE BUS IS IN SERVICE.WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THROUGH OUR BACKPACK PROGRAM, PARTNERSHIP WITH THE RAIDER NETWORK, AND SNACK PROGRAMS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THESE PROGRAMS TO EVALUATE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. EIGHTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATE IN THE BACKPACK PROGRAM QUALIFY AS DISADVANTAGED. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OF STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATE IN THE RAIDER NETWORK QUALIFY AS DISADVANTAGED.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJul 1, 2020 – Jun 30, 2021Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$66.1KHudson Area Food Security Programs
Hudson Area Backpack and Food Program, Inc. (the Organization) seeks to assist students and families experiencing food insecurity by providing food and basic items for daily living. Families can access food through any or all of our programs. The Backpack Program, Drive-Thru Grocery Distribution, Raider Network and a snack program are offered to all students, pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade attending a Hudson, Wisconsin public or private school. Anyone living in St. Croix County is also eligible to participate. Our goals are: To increase access to healthy food for students and families who are experiencing food insecurity. To continually address the diverse food insecurity needs of each student population and to provide access to food resources in a model of delivery that is relevant and convenient to their situations. To raise awareness in our community about food insecurity affecting students and families who may be struggling economicall.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJul 1, 2024 – Jan 1, 2025Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$831.6K
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