At The Culver Studios’ recent community holiday party, Hackman Capital CEO and President Michael Hackman got into the spirit of the season of giving by announcing a significant donation to the School District’s Backpacks for Kids program.
The gift will finance the purchase of two weeks’ worth of supplies for the innovative program that helps insure needy Culver City students have sufficient food for weekends.
“At this time of year, it is of utmost importance to make sure that no student goes without sustenance,” said Mr. Hackman, owner of The Culver Studios.
“We are privileged to be in a position to be able to give back to those organizations in our community that do good work like the Backpacks for Kids program. Hopefully this gift will help them extend their services.”
The Culver Studios’ generosity amazed Jamie Wallace, co-founder of the Backpacks for Kids Program.
“This timely gift is greatly appreciated,” she said. “It will help us further the needed bridge between home and school.”
Ms. Wallace said Backpacks for Kids serves 200 families with food on days when school is not in session.
“Unfortunately, the need for our services shows no signs of abating,” she said. a
Backpacks for Kids has expanded rapidly since its start in 2013 at one elementary school where teachers noticed that some students came to school hungry on Mondays.
Parents and school volunteers began putting together simple backpacks to provide students food for the weekends.
Three backpacks soon became 19 backpacks. In December 2013, the program expanded to include all nine campuses in the School District. Of the District’s 6,500 students, 45 percent are eligible for the free and reduced lunch program.
Supported by the Culver City Council PTA, Backpacks for Kids is run entirely by volunteers.
It receives no funding from the School District, state or federal sources.
Food drives are held in December at all schools. Twice a year it hosts a food-and- donation drive at a supermarket.
The School District sends an informational letter to every family in the District about the program. Families apply at their schools.
Staff and teachers identify students in need who have not requested to be included. In those instances, a letter is sent home to the family to ask if they would like to participate in the program.
The staff sends the number of backpacks needed to the coordinators with no names or details attached.
These numbers, compiled for each school to preserve anonymity, are given to the Backpack coordinators who, working alongside middle school student volunteers, fill backpacks with non-perishable foods chosen for their calcium, vitamin, protein, whole grain, and caloric values.
The full backpacks are picked up by parent volunteers who deliver them back to their schools. The backpacks are then discreetly distributed by school staff directly to the students each Friday.
The Culver Studios has long had highly successful partnerships with the School District, its schools, and the Culver City Education Foundation, by financially supporting school programs, and hosting fundraising events for the groups and activities for students on the studio lot.
Mr. Lewis may be contacted at blewis@marathon-com.com