Portland Backpack Memorandum of Understanding

School Year 2024-2025

Portland Backpack and the schools we partner with share the belief that children have an unlimited potential to grow when food is not a barrier. We work in partnership to provide the food that children need to do their best at school and to thrive in the world, as well as building community in our efforts to create a greater impact that reaches beyond reducing hunger.

Program Details

Delivery Dates

First Delivery: Mid September after introductory meeting & MOU is signed.

Expected First Distribution: Friday September 20  (*after MOU is signed)

Enrollment Number

Portland Backpack will provide weekend food sacks. The weekly enrollment number will be determined by the school lead. You may request changes to your enrollment number with the Warehouse & Delivery Specialist by filling this enrollment update form. Requests made later than one week before scheduled delivery will not be accommodated until the following delivery cycle.

Program Evaluation

We will provide leads with an end of the year survey.  We have created the evaluation in multiple languages, such as Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Somali, Swahili, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese. Please share links with families. *This will be updated with links when they are ready.* To maximize our benefits to students, we expect the Program Leads to distribute surveys so we can process the data and improve our program.

Portland Backpack Responsibility

Associate Director

The Portland Backpack Associate Director will be available and is responsible for overseeing a program which meets the needs of the children and supports school staff in this collaborative process.

Warehouse & Delivery Specialist

The Warehouse & Delivery Specialist will manage the delivery of the food bins to the school; be available to assist or manage the organization of the food bin school storage space; as well as remove and keep empty bins organized. W & D Specialist will maintain the delivery schedule; if changes are needed, please contact Delivery Specialist and fill this enrollment update form.

Lead Checklist

Portland Backpack provides a checklist of tasks and responsibilities Lead will be responsible for throughout the school year. 

Fall Sign Up Form

Portland Backpack provides a program sign up form each fall translated into multiple languages. School Lead will be responsible for distributing & collecting forms from families. 

School Responsibility

Program Lead

School Administration shall always have assigned a specific staff person as the Program Lead for the Backpack program.  They will serve as the primary point of contact between Portland Backpack and your school. If lead changes, the school admin must let us know & introduce the new lead to the PB team.

Program Lead Responsibilities:

  • Creating and maintaining the list of students who receive a food sack.

  • Distributing weekly the food sacks to the listed students.

  • Keeping close communication with Portland Backpack’s Warehouse & Delivery specialist as needed. This includes: check-ins to verify your delivery changes, any requests for change in the assigned service number for your school, menu needs, or desired volunteer assistance.

Failure to Communicate

  • Failure to respond to Portland Backpack’s team for 2 consecutive weeks  will result in a pause in delivery until communication resumes.

  • Failure to respond to the Portland Backpack team for more than a month will result in a mandatory meeting with the school Principal & team in efforts to resolve issues with communication. 

  • Failure to communicate with Portland Backpack’s team for 3 consecutive delivery cycles will be viewed as a desire to discontinue our program and your school will be moved to the bottom of our waitlist.

Storage Space

Schools must provide a clean location where two weeks of bins can be stored. Portland Backpack must inspect the space prior to first delivery. Spaces should be:

  • clean and free from bugs and rodents

  • accessible without stairs

Students Served

The School Lead shall identify those students who are most in need within their school community. Portland Backpack serves children grades PK-5th grade. Each fall, or as needed, the school may send out the sign up form provided. It is expected that the list of students served will change during the school year. Portland Backpack does not need access to the list. Portland Backpack may ask for demographic information of students and families for grant writing purposes. That information is private and will be kept anonymous.

Distribution

The school program lead shall ensure that food sack distribution happens weekly. It is understood that on occasion the food sacks may not be distributed due to unforeseen events, please communicate with the PB team if this happens. If support is needed, please contact the Associate Director to request volunteer support.