La Mochila Alegre and La Bolsita Alegre Reach Kids Across the Island

Like the rest of the world, Puerto Rico suffered a harsh summer with the multiple challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the global crisis did not impede Banco de Alimentos de Puerto Rico from continuing with its mission to alleviate hunger on the island, particularly among children. Many of them, who are students of the public education system, depend on the school cafeteria to enjoy two meals a day. When summer arrives, and with the break from school, the reality is that these children often do not have regular access to food.

Banco de Alimentos de Puerto Rico offers two programs that provide food specifically to children in Puerto Rico – through their flagship program, La Mochila Alegre (The Happy Backpack), and its extension, La Bolsita Alegre (The Happy Baggie). Thanks to the generosity of No Kid Hungry, the food bank was able to help these programs continue to serve kids and families throughout the pandemic.

La Mochila Alegre partners with nonprofit organizations, churches, and schools in 31 municipalities across Puerto Rico. Each Friday, volunteers load backpacks with food for the weekend and also do this over the summer. The team tailors the program according to the community’s needs, including offering educational activities.

The menu and educational activities are developed to respond to the specific needs of the community. The educational resources promote balanced nutrition, good eating habits, and quality of life for children. The educational activities include engaging characters, such as Backpack from the Food Bank (see photo), nutrition capsules from the Clown Remi on social media, Super Heroes, and nutritional information from the Health Department professionals.

As part of La Bolsita Alegre, they deliver snacks to schools, homes, hospitals, and pediatric programs to compensate for children’s possible lack of breakfast and ensure they receive the nutrition they need.

The testimonies of their beneficiaries are what inspire them every day to give their best. María Torres, director of Asociación Pro Juventud y Comunidad Barrio Palmas, in Cataño, commented: “Our agency has been blessed to receive food from Banco de Alimentos over the summer. These products helped our agency provide for children so they would not go hungry during the summer and on weekends.” Torres explained that thanks to the program, the team fed 123 children.

Alfredo Collazo, school director of the Fidel López Colón Elementary School in Corozal, received the help of the La Bolsita Alegre with a lot of enthusiasm and joy. The municipality’s location is in a rural area of Puerto Rico, where jobs are difficult to find, and there is a lot of poverty. The Food Bank staff provided snacks to 50 needy families from El Idilio, Cuba Libre, Mavillas, Alturas de Cibuco, and Barrio Pueblo. “Thanks to the Banco de Alimentos, food insecurity in their community has decreased,” said Mr. Collazo. This program helped improve the quality of life for the children.

José de Jesús, director of the Manuel Elzaburu y Vizcarrondo School in San Juan, states, “Thanks to Banco de Alimentos de Puerto Rico, we were able to serve snacks to 50 low-income families in our school community throughout the summer amid the health crisis.”

Daniel Irizarry, a father of two children who benefited from the same initiative, said, “Since the pandemic started, my children have eaten all they can find, from morning to evening. Sometimes it is difficult for me to go to the supermarket. But thank God for the help of the Banco de Alimentos. I thank them from the bottom of my heart.”

Gredmarie García, a mother of two children who received the Bolsita Alegre, commented: “[The COVID-19 pandemic] has been difficult because our children got anxious, but I am very grateful. For our children, this (La Bolsita Alegre) has been a success.”