Idaho Foodbank Backpacks for Kids Program Receives a Boost from Regence BlueShield of Idaho

Health Insurer Assists in Funding of the Program with $48,000 Grant

December 15, 2006

LEWISTON – Providing meals at school to less fortunate children during the school week is nothing new. But how about providing those same children with backpacks full of food for the weekends?

That's exactly what the Idaho Foodbank's BackPacks for Kids program does: It provides backpacks plus approximately seven pounds of food to students who are at risk of going hungry over the weekends.

Regence BlueShield of Idaho has donated $48,000 to the Idaho Foodbank for the program. The Regence grant will supply an additional 216 backpacks to Idaho children, including 72 backpacks in the Lewiston area. The company, which is splitting its donation between Idaho Foodbank locations in Lewiston, Boise and Pocatello, presented a check in the amount of $18,000 to the Lewiston branch today.

The backpacks will have enough weekend and holiday food for the entire school year.

"Nutrition is important to today's children for a number of reasons," said John Stellmon, president of Regence BlueShield of Idaho. "Most obviously, healthy eating helps children stay well. And being healthy has many benefits, such as less absenteeism in school, positive self-esteem and simply the ability to function as a kid."

Chuck Whitman, director of Northern Idaho Services for the Idaho Foodbank, has witnessed children who are supported by meals programs at school but tend to fall through the cracks on weekends.

"Eating healthy five days a week just isn't enough," he said. "To lead a well-rounded life, children need healthy meals each and every day." Whitman has volunteers who fill and distribute the backpacks.

Stellmon said he hopes the program will fill as many as those weekend gaps as possible.

"We hope it will improve the lives of some of our communities' most at-risk children who depend on school meal programs as their main source of food," he said. "We're happy to support this program because Regence and the Idaho Foodbank share the vision of healthier children in our communities."

About Regence BlueShield of Idaho
Regence BlueShield of Idaho has nearly 800 employees statewide and is headquartered in Lewiston and maintains offices in Boise, Coeur d'Alene, Pocatello and Twin Falls. It is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of 39 independent, locally operated Blue Shield and/or Blue Cross companies that collectively provide coverage to more than 94 million people – nearly one in three Americans. Regence is the largest health insurer in the Northwest/Mountain State Region, which operates Blue Shield/Blue Cross plans in Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington. For more information, visit our Web site at www.id.regence.com.