31 Backpacks expanding into Baraga County

Meal assistance is critical for at-risk students on weekends, during holidays, and when schedules are upset by COVID-19 closures. The nonprofit group 31 Backpacks, which began in Calumet back in 2012, will be expanding south to offer services to the entirety of the CCISD coverage area.

31 backpacks went from serving 225 families to over 2,200 last spring at the height of the COVID-19 shutdown. That necessitated building out infrastructure to handle such a high burden. It was then that the organization reached out to Baraga Schools for the first time. As operations begin to return to normal, the capacity for aid is still there and Baraga is now a permanent beneficiary. The county tends to suffer from higher unemployment than the general area and average income lags as well, meaning 31 Backpacks’ services fill a critical need.

A link for donations is available here.