LMCS teachers aid students facing hunger

Novel ‘backpack’ effort seeks support

By Manor Ink Staff

Livingston Manor, NY – There are more than 34 million people suffering from food insecurity in the US, but some people in Livingston Manor are doing something about it. Calley Erlwein and Rene Carlson, teachers at Livingston Manor Central School, have organized a “Weekend Backpack Program” that supplies meals and snacks to children in need over the weekends and long holiday breaks.

The program was in place several years ago at LMCS, but when the COVID pandemic hit, everything came to a halt. The staff member who ran the program in the past is no longer with the district. Manor Ink recently spoke with Erlwein and Carlson about the reactivated effort.

“We actually had some kids bring up the need for it, so we just started brainstorming a way to bring it back,” said Erlwein. The two teachers looked at what other districts were doing and then asked LMCS teachers to nominate students they thought could benefit from the program, which is currently in its fourth week. A typical backpack would be stuffed with canned soups, pasta, granola bars, fruit juice, cereals and other easily prepared foods.

When asked how the program is funded, Erlwein replied, “We’ve had donations of both the food itself and monetary contributions, many from staff members.” Carlson also received a grant of $1,000 from the Kaplan Foundation. Some local businesses have also contributed, and the two women are contacting other businesses as well, in order to keep the program running.

For this year, the goal for Erlwein and Carlson is to keep the program operating as it is. Perhaps in the future they will expand, but for now, they want to simply sustain the backpack effort while they are working out the details. “There are quite a few staff members who are eager to be helpful,” explained Erlwein. Sometimes a student is unable to carry the backpack or is absent from school on Friday, so a staff member will drop the pack off at the student’s house.

If you would like to donate to the LMCS Backpack Program, you can bring a donation of non-perishable food items to the school or make a monetary donation. Checks can be made out to Manor Wildcats PTSA with the word “Backpacks” in the memo, and mailed to Livingston Manor Central School, PO Box 947, Livingston Manor, NY 12758. For more information, call Rene Carlson or Calley Erlwein at 845-439-4400, ext. 3502.

Reporter Nevaeh Roberts helped with this story.