District launches weekend backpack pilot and expands holiday assistance, superintendent says

At the Nov. 17 meeting Superintendent Jason DeFalco introduced district social worker Sarah Rodriguez, who described the district's holiday assistance work and a new weekend backpack nutrition pilot.

Rodriguez said the district coordinates Thanksgiving and holiday support through local donors and organizations; she reported that a district holiday program will help dozens of families and that 126 children across donors and school support will receive holiday assistance this season. She described a new pilot to begin the first weekend of December: schools will identify students who may need weekend food support, families will be offered enrollment by letter, and backpacks containing two breakfasts, two lunches, two to three drinks, four snacks and weekend-appropriate items will go home on Friday and return Monday. Sibling groups will receive individual backpacks.

Rodriguez said the program will start small during winter months and aims to expand. She said the district is partnering with the Blackstone-Millville food pantry to order and assemble items and that older students (an 18–22 program group) will help assemble backpacks weekly.

The superintendent thanked Rodriguez and noted Channel 5 would be covering a Thanksgiving basket presentation; no formal action was required.