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Powerpack Program

Helping students on the weekends
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How it works

 Did you know? 

  • 1 in 5 Minnesota families with kids experience hunger and food shortages at some point

  • 1 in 11 children face hunger

  • When kids are hungry - it's hard for them to learn

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The Powerpack Program provides a weekend bag of breakfast items, individual meals, and snacks for school age children (PreK-12) in all of the ISD 12 schools. Each school has their own policy of how the packs are delivered.

The concept is that the packs should be handed out confidentially such that the privacy of each student is respected.  Additional food or bags are distributed for school holidays. This program runs during the school year from September to the end of May.

What's in a pack?

  • 2 breakfast items

    • cereal box, nutrigrain bar

  • 2 dinner items

    • single serve meals, tuna, mac 

  • 1 fruit item

    • fruit cup, fruit squeezies

  • 4-5 healthy snacks

    • raisins, granola bars, crackers

Have questions?

If you have questions about the PowerPack program please call 612-308-3260 or email powerpackdistrict12@gmail.com

Eligibility

Powerpacks are created as a supplemental food source for children who may need a little extra help with having enough food available at home on the weekends. Powerpack partners with the Centennial School District, operating out of the Centennial Middle School. 

Powerpacks are confidentially delivered to participating students each week during the school year. School officials from each of the ten schools (1 early childhood, 5 elementary, 1 middle school, 1 high school, and 2 alternative schools) notify the Powerpack team each week of how many packs are requested. To enroll, contact your child's school counselor.
 

How Powerpack got started

In Spring 2013, a group of community members, led by Circle Pines resident Jenn Gramse, began meeting to talk about ways to help provide hungry students the nourishment necessary for health, well-being, and school success. With the help of Ron Koon, President of the Centennial Community Food Shelf, Jenn researched local backpack food programs and created the Powerpack Program to provide participating students a bag of non-perishable food items at the end of every week during the school year.

 Powerpacks are so important and so needed. They save so much time in my house. There are times where we won’t have food or money. It’s really hard having to recover from money problems, and these powerpacks help so much. I would be so heartbroken if they were cancelled. I wouldn’t be able to have a good time on weekends because food is important, and everyone needs it. 

 Powerpacks help me a lot on those days when my family can’t afford food. We spend a lot of money on medical bills and so our budget on food is about $30. Powerpacks give me and other people food and hope, it shows that people are looking out for us. 

 Powerpacks mean a lot to me. My family and I don’t have much money. So, when I get powerpacks we get snacks. Good snacks and my family and I get to eat. I would be very disappointed if we weren’t able to get the powerpacks anymore. They help my family and I by eating more amounts of food for a very large family. I hope we get to keep getting powerpacks because they really do mean a lot to my family and I. 

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