Moraine Elementary School nurse Allison Offie prepares bags of food to be distributed to needy students as part of the district's weekend food program. With the help of school nurses and guidance counselors, needy students go home Friday afternoons with food in their backpacks.

SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — A program intended to help needy families was a success last year at Moraine Elementary School and has been expanded to Slippery Rock Elementary School this year.

The Slippery Rock School District's Weekend Food Program was launched during the 2014-15 school year with 10 families as beneficiaries, said Alfonso Angelucci, district superintendent.

The district identifies students who may not have enough food to eat over the weekend.

With help from the school nurses and guidance counselors, the students are sent home with food in their backpacks Friday afternoons. The distribution is done discreetly.

The students aren't necessarily living in poverty, but are considered “food-insecure families,” Angelucci said.

“Some financial hardships have created the need for such a program,” he said.

The program has been well received and well supported so far.

“Based on the community outpouring of kindness and donations, I see it continuing indefinitely,” Angelucci said.

This year it has gotten up and running at Slippery Rock Elementary School with an additional 10 families. The school nurses, guidance counselors and Food Service Director Kyle Suerth are running the program on a weekly basis.

If they are able to raise enough money through events and donations, they are looking to expand to Slippery Rock Middle School too, Suerth said.

Unlike most food pantries, the district will not accept donations of food items. It purchases shelf-stable, low-prep foods through its contracted food service provider.Since the program is not part of the district's budget, it must raise money and seek donations from businesses.On Sept. 22, before a football game, a group of 40 district staff members volunteered to hold a “Tailgating for Hunger” event, organized by Jessica Schroeffel, a middle school teacher. The event raised $2,500.“Programs, such as the Weekend Food Program, are an example of one way to strengthen our community by giving our students an opportunity to have their basic human needs met so that they may flourish in and out of the classroom,” Schroeffel said.Another fundraiser is planned later this month. Starting at 6 p.m. Oct. 28 at the middle school, staff and faculty members will compete in a “Chopped” style cooking competition. They will be charging an admission fee and staff will also be selling T-shirts to benefit the food program, Suerth said.Those interested in donating money to the food program can contact the superintendent's office at 724-794-2960.