1. SCHOOL PANTRY PROGRAM CONCEPT & SUMMARY
The mission of the School Based Pantry Program is to help alleviate child hunger in Idaho
through the provision of food to school children and their families at school by creating and
promoting increased access to food and resources through convenient, family-friendly, easily
accessible pantries in an environment in which students and families already feel safe and
comfortable. The program is a direct and targeted approach in concurrence with Feeding
America’s initiative to end childhood hunger.
School-based pantries are located on the grounds of a school and intended to provide a more
readily accessible source of food assistance to low-income students and their families. The
School Pantry Program provides additional support to existing Backpack Program schools,
allowing The Idaho Foodbank to address the high need throughout Idaho and put nutritious food
directly into the hands of parents and children. The School Pantry Program, along with the
Backpack Program, create a more comprehensive solution to the problem of food insecurity,
ensuring access to supplemental food for all family members, not just for the children who
attend school.
The vision of the School Based Pantry program is that more direct, easy access to supplemental, emergency
food will lessen stressful barriers to food access (transportation difficulties, limited operation hours of existing
food pantries, lack of emergency food assistance, lack of knowledge of assistance resources, etc.) will help
establish strong, trusting relationships with school staff, and in turn strengthen feelings of trust, safety, and
comfort about the school establishment, allowing for improved learning opportunities for children to come to
school well-nourished, ready and able to learn. Additionally, the School Pantry Program will ensure access to
nutritious food to all family members, not just the children who attend school, allowing for improved quality
of life and home environments of families in need.
The Idaho Foodbank piloted the School Pantry Program during the 2010-2011 school year with three pilot sites
in Boise and one in Pocatello. During the five-month-long pilot, 14,310 pounds were distributed in 205
distributions to 122 families.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
 Provide nutritious, healthy food to children and families at-risk of hunger for preparation and
consumption at their place of residence.
 Distribute food discreetly in easily accessible and safe environments.
MODEL
School based pantries are food pantries placed directly in and operated direction out of the school and will
have a permanent set up within a school. School Pantries are consistently in the same location of the school’s
campus, have set distribution schedules and offer ongoing food assistance services which can be accessed only
by families with children enrolled in that school. Distribution may be done either by request, referral or
through set distribution hours. If possible, each school is encouraged to have certain hours of operation open
to the general public, in addition to their regular distribution to their school community. These hours should
be during off-school hours, such as an evening or weekends.
THE IDAHO FOODBANK SCHOOL PANTRY PROGRAM

2. OPERATIONAL STANDARDS
 Food is to be distributed in a discreet, respectful manner by school staff and/or volunteers
 Healthy, nutritious food must be distributed discretely and free of charge
 Each school will appoint a staff member to act as School Pantry Program Coordinator
 Idaho Foodbank will provide food to stock the pantry as need, and the pantry will be supplemented
through donations and school food drives
 School staff and volunteers with direct repetitive contact with children must pass National Background
Search
EVALUATION
 Analysis of end-of-year School Pantry Survey results are used to strengthen the program and
implement necessary changes effectively and efficiently, better program operation procedures, and to
identify barriers to emergency food service
 Number of pounds distributed by each School Pantry and number of people served
The Idaho Foodbank School Pantry Program is part of Feeding America’s Child Hunger Strategy,
focusing on reaching children at the times when they are most in need:
in the summer, afterschool, at home, and over weekends and school vacations.