Packs for Hunger (Packs) provides food assistance to school-aged children in the Carlsbad and Loving communities who are living in food insecure situations.
Assistance is designed to ensure students have healthy meals available over weekends, holidays, vacation periods, and throughout the academic year when school food programs are unavailable. On a standard weekend, we place enough non-perishable food in a backpack (new or gently loved) to ensure our students can eat at least 8 times. Non-perishable food is provided in a form that students of any age can make themselves if necessary.
My involvement in Packs was unplanned and unexpected. I had taken my car to Jay’s Automotive for some repairs. While there, Wayne Worley asked if I would be willing to help pack backpacks for the program. I did not know very much about it. At the time, I was looking for a way to give back to the community and help while not being taken advantage of. Since getting involved with the Packs for Hunger program and meeting the founder, Carol Worley, I have learned so much. I have come to understand the need within our own community. I was surprised to learn, for example, that teachers in our community were buying food for students with their own money.
Carol Worley is an amazing woman with a heart of gold. We have had many conversations about the program and its effectiveness. She has relayed many personal stories to me of children’s lives that were impacted by simply having food to eat over the weekends.
One time, she was stopped in Albertson’s by a young woman. The woman said, “I know you don’t know me, but my brother and I were among the first recipients of your Packs for Hunger program. Fridays were particularly special days for us. We’d bring home our backpacks, and our mother would let us have a Slim Jim or the Gummy Bear treat. Then she would gather up the food, and that’s what we lived on for the rest of the week.”
In another case, a little boy, who was known in school as having a behavior problem, stopped by the school counselor’s office. He looked at the counselor and then at the backpacks and said, “I want one of those backpacks.” The counselor asked if he knew what was in the packs. The boy responded, “Yes, food.” The counselor asked him why he wanted the pack. The boy told the counselor that his parents dropped him off at his grandmother’s house one day. He had not seen them since. His grandmother lived on a limited fixed income. He said, “Grandma and I don’t eat very well.” His grandmother struggled with rent, utilities, medical, and other bills. Food is a difficult trade-off.
The counselor confirmed the boy’s story and placed him in the program. A couple of months later, the counselor checked the boy’s progress. He discovered the boy was no longer exhibiting behavior problems nor being disruptive in the classroom. His grades were up, and he seemed much more engaged in school. When the counselor asked the boy how he was doing, he said, “Oh, me and grandma, we eat good now.”
A few years ago, I was asked to speak about the program at a company meeting. After the presentation, the company president came to me and said, “I was that child. I grew up in that food insecure home.” Since that day, the company has been committed to supporting the program.
From a personal perspective, one of my close friends recently died suddenly. He left his wife and four children with minimal resources. The program was able to help. It may not seem like much, but to the family, it meant the world. These are just a few stories among many about the impact that Packs has had over the years.
Our program is of the community, by the community, and for the community, truly a grassroots organization. It is 100% staffed by volunteers here in Carlsbad and 100% funded by the communities of Carlsbad and Loving. We do not accept any state or federal funding. Over 99% of the donated funds go directly to purchase food for the program, and 100% of purchased food is distributed to students within the Carlsbad and Loving communities.
There are no prequalifications, income, or asset restrictions placed on recipients. Anyone can identify a student who might need assistance. They only need to make the student’s school aware that the child may be in need. The school’s counselor will meet with the student and determine if the student should be included in the program. School officials simply report the number of packs they need each week and send the food home in backpacks.
I am passionate about helping children reach their full potential; they are the future. Children are amazing! They are intelligent, caring, creative, and curious. They have wonderful, uncorrupted ideas. Children want to be engaged, included, and listened to. I am passionate about providing children with learning opportunities and new experiences.
It is important to understand the long-term consequences of hunger and food insecurity on the development of children. There is a direct correlation between hunger and the cycle of poverty. We can break the cycle. We may feel reluctant to help or perhaps feel overwhelmed by the size and scope of the problem. We may feel powerless or that what we can offer is insignificant. Nothing could be further from the truth. If 400 people each volunteer to help pack once a year, committing just one to two hours, we would fully cover our packing requirements for the entire year.
I would like to thank both the Carlsbad and Loving communities for their continued support. The program is blessed to have such wonderful and supportive communities. This program would not exist without the tremendous effort and generosity of so many people who live and work in this area. Packs for Hunger is your program. Your support has truly made a difference in the lives of so many young people, people who are now more likely to grow up, be successful, and give back to their communities. Thank you so much!
Statistics
- The program aids approximately 400 students each week.
- 9% of the total student population of Carlsbad and Loving are helped.
- Last year, Packs delivered 15,793 packs to area students.
- Each pack contains roughly $18 worth of food.
- The program distributes on average about $7,000 worth of food each week.
- The total expenditure for the 2023–2024 school year was $280,000.
- Christmas boxes (for the break) contain 50 lbs. of food.
- In 2023, the program distributed 21,000 lbs. of food in Christmas boxes.
Packs for Hunger welcomes volunteers to help:
- Build the packs.
- Stock the warehouse when orders arrive.
- Build sub packs such as the breakfast packs.
- Create double sacks.
- Deliver packs and Christmas boxes.
- Donate money and nonperishable food donations.
- Report to the school any student who may need assistance. You could help save a life!
Contact Carol or Sarah Worley for more information about volunteering and donations.
Established 2011
P.O. Box 1414
Carlsbad, NM 88221
Carol Worley: (575) 361-2834
Sarah Worley: (575) 499-7137
Article written by Sarah Worley and originally published in Focus on Carlsbad 2024 Fall edition.
