The DCMO BOCES Backpack Program received a donation from Sidney Federal Credit Union Monday, June 24. Rebecca Hedlund, SFCU Membership Engagement Officer, and Denys Soto, SFCU Membership Services Coordinator, presented a $1,000 check to Sara Stafford, Director of Special Education for DCMO BOCES.
For some students, the backpack program gives them access to snacks and serve ready foods they can consume during school breaks when school food is unavailable, Stafford said. The contribution from SFCU will help feed more students.
The donation follows the Real World Money Edition events that SFCU recently sponsored at the two DCMO BOCES campuses. Those hands-on financial learning experiences asked students to make budgeting decisions across a range of “real life” categories. The exercise taught students the importance of including charitable contributions in their plans, and through their budgeting choices, the students identified the food bank as a top priority for their charitable giving. The DCMO BOCES Backpack Program helps address the same food insecurity issues as the food bank, and was selected by SFCU to receive a donation. The contribution represents a gift for the students who participated in the program, according to Martha Ryan, DCMO BOCES enrichment coordinator.
