STRETCH (Striving To Reach Each Terrific Child’s Hunger) sought to address a tragic reality facing many children in South Carolina every weekend – a lack of available food, as a result of not having access to school-provided free and reduced price meals. After researching the mechanics, infrastructure, and viability of existing programs designed to combat this problem, STRETCH worked in conjunction with Harvest Hope Food Bank to implement a Backpack Program at Sumter County School District Two’s R.E. Davis Elementary School, a school with a 96% free and reduced price lunch rate, in which children are sent home every weekend with a backpack stocked with nutritious, child-friendly, easy-to-prepare food. STRETCH designed the program with an eye on creating a sustainable, scalable model that will hopefully be replicated in other schools.

To view a video of their project, STRETCH, click on the play button below.