The Send Hunger Packing program (SHUP) is a meal bag program that helps feed food insecure students over the weekend when they lack access to school meals.
Through partnerships with over 30 sites, including the Trenton School District, nearly 60,000 SHUP bags per year are distributed throughout Mercer County. With the help of committed volunteers, over 1,000 SHUP bags with four meals per bag are packed weekly. The SHUP program seeks to close the food gap for school-aged children and limit the effects of hunger on their education and development.
“When I picked up my children’s free school lunches last week, we were also given two extra bags of food from your food bank. My children and I were so happy to receive them. There were squeals of delight from my kids especially over the crunchy peanut butter, the jelly, the mac and cheese, and several other items. My seven-year-old started praying out loud, thanking God for the crunchy peanut butter as I was still unpacking, which was a bit surprising, but it’s a memory I’ll hold on to. Your generosity brought us much joy and has also helped us in a financially difficult time. Thank you so much.”
