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Jason Dufner: Amanda and I started a foundation a couple of years ago. We were kind of looking
around for causes we could be involved with here in Lee County. We wanted to stay in Lee
County since we live here and Amanda had a big affection for this program and it kind
of worked out that this program wasn't anywhere in the state of Alabama. So once that happened
we kind of got together with the folks at Blessings in a Backpack and got the money
together and wanted to do something here in Lee County.
Jennifer Commander: Blessings in a Backpack focuses on elementary childhood hunger and
what this organization did is they started looking at research that said kids who are
dependent on free and reduced lunch programs are eating breakfast and lunch five days a
week at their schools, but then going home Friday, Saturday and Sunday and maybe not
having anything to eat. So that's kind of the group they were targeting to reach when
they started the program. Amanda Dufner: I'm active with the PGA Tour
Wives Association which is just a wonderful organization that does different charity work
from week to week. We travel all over the world so it's just a great platform to be
able to do things in every city we get to go to. This happens to be one of the things
they're really involved with. I heard about it through them and I was really I guess drawn
to it. I thought it was a good cause and was just really touched, I guess, in certain situations
there were children who would come up and say things you know and I just really wanted
to start it here if there was a need. Come to find out there was so I'm glad that we're
in a situation where we could help. Jennifer Commander: We already worked with
Campus Kitchens which is another hunger fighting initiative and it seemed like a logical fit
to kind of add on another program that Campus Kitchens could supply the volunteers for.
What we do each week is take food, put it into plastic bags and then deliver those plastic
bags to the schools. We put them in the teachers' classrooms that have already selected students
that are going to be receiving the bags every week for the entire year and then the teachers,
while the kids are either at P.E. or Venture or another elective period where they're out
of the classroom, will go slip the plastic bags into the child's backpack.
Jason Dufner: Providing food for these kids that might be on these meal programs during
the week for them to take home during the weekend has been a real plus, and I think
it really helps them get through the weekend. And actually we've had some feedback from
the teachers saying that they've noticed an improved attention level and energy levels
from these kids when they come back on Monday and Tuesday.
Aleesa Zutter: To them it's presents; we see that as fulfilling needs, but they just eat
it all up. Another thing that I think means more to them than we realize is that school
is their safe place. School is constant; school is, um, always the same and they can depend
on their teacher to always be there for them. And this I think even breaks those barriers
even more and now that they know that the classroom can provide some more of their needs
I think their motivation has gone up and they look forward to Fridays and they are thrilled
to get those blessings in their backpacks. Jason Dufner: The future of the program, I'd
love to see all the elementary schools here in Lee County be taken care of, all the kids
here be taken care of, and then maybe expand a little bit into some of the other counties
that are around here and you know, try to get the program as big as we can here in east
Alabama.