2022-2023 School Year

The Sunshine Backpack Food Program is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that helps provide weekend food to children in need in the MSAD 72 School District throughout the school year.

Maine ranks first in New England in childhood food insecurity with 20% of Maine kids facing empty shelves. Hungry children have trouble learning and are more prone to behavioral and emotional problems and can have long-lasting health problems. We want to help stop childhood hunger in our area, one bag at a time!

Through this program, children receive a bag of nutritious food on Friday for the weekend when school meals are unavailable. The bags contain breakfast, lunch and a snack (usually a few extra too!) for each weekend day, and are child-friendly, ready to eat, and shelf stable.

Larger bags of food are sent home for school vacations.

The program was started in 2013 at New Suncook Elementary School. Over the years we have expanded and now send home weekend food to students K-8th grade in all three district schools. Last year we sent home over 110 bags every week. Unfortunately due to rising food costs and economic uncertainty, we anticipate that we will have even more kids this year, as well as increased food costs for the program. So, we need your help!

This program is run by volunteers and funded solely by donations. $300 a year provides one child with 9 months of weekend food. Please consider sponsoring a child or making a donation in any amount. We truly appreciate the generosity of our community and the help to make sure that no child goes hungry!