LEWISTON – Back-to-school shopping can be expensive. But one local organization is once again doing some of the shopping for those in need.

The Idaho Food Bank in Lewiston is filling backpacks with one important essential for area kids - food.

"What were finding is that a lot of children in our area, and throughout Idaho, participate in the free and reduced meals for breakfast and lunch at their schools, but on weekends a lot of times, some of these children are on their own, and don't necessarily get a nutritious meal to eat,” said Idaho Food Bank's Northern Idaho Services Director Chuck Whitman.

Whitman said local school counselors choose the students based on need. Last year was the first year of the program, and the food bank handed out 150 backpacks every week. This year, they want to up the number to 250.

"We're able to put out a backpack for about $5 each, but to be able to do 250 backpacks for 36 weeks of school, you're talking about $45,000 dollars,” said Whitman.

An increase in backpacks will obviously necessitate an increase in food donations. Whitman said a good variety will go a long way.

"We have a couple bowls of cereal for breakfast, we have some shelf stable milk, and then we have some cup of noodles, some Chef Boyardee ravioli, we have Easy Mac for lunches and dinners and some vegetables,” he said, showing some of the food items in a pack. “My favorite backpacks I get back are the ones that, at the bottom sometimes have holes in them. You can envision this 6-year-old girl walking around with a seven-pound pack that she can't carry - she's dragging it. Those are my favorite backpacks."

The Food Bank welcomes food, monetary donations, and even the backpacks themselves.

If you can help out, contact the Idaho Food Bank in Lewiston at (208) 746-2288 or take your donations to the Food Bank at 3600 East Main Street.