Our Mission & Goals

Mission:

The Hudson Area Backpack and Food Programs along with the Fresh Harvest Pantry seek to assist students, families and all individuals experiencing food insecurity by providing food and basic items for daily living.  Students, families, and individuals can access food through any or all of our programs. Any individual living in St. Croix County or the River Falls School District is eligible to participate in any or all of our programs.

Goals:

• To increase access to healthy food for students, families and any individuals living in St. Croix County who are experiencing food insecurity.

• To continually address the diverse food insecurity needs of each individual and to provide access to food resources in a model of delivery that is relevant and convenient to their situations.

• To raise awareness in our community about food insecurity affecting students, families and individuals who may be struggling economically.

Our Situation

St. Croix County has a total population of more than 90,000 people.  Nearly one-third live below the poverty threshold or have household income less than the basic cost of living.  The high cost of living and comparatively low wages mean that many families are just getting by.  A medical emergency, major home or car repair, loss of employment or even a reduction in work hours can force a family to make difficult spending decisions, often having to choose between necessities like food, rent, or other basic needs.  The disparity between the basic living costs and available income has worsened for many because of COVID-19.

Several factors have contributed to the growth in the need for food resources in Hudson.  First of all, it is important to understand the role economic insecurity uniquely affects students/families who live here.  When researching barriers to service at food shelves, it was discovered that many people who could benefit from a food shelf do not use a food shelf because of cultural perceptions surrounding need and food shelf usage.  Many people do not see themselves as “needy enough” to use a food shelf.  Moreover, clients do not want to associate themselves with cultural perceptions of the types of people who might need to visit a food shelf. 

These findings are of particular interest to our program because of the economic situation in Hudson.  Hudson does not have a high percentage of the population that lives in deep poverty.  Rather, 27% of the families living in Hudson are considered the "working poor” (2018 ALICE report, United Way/WI).  These families work full time, or more than full time, at low wage jobs and cannot cover the basic monthly cost of living here.  They do not qualify for economic assistance programs, yet struggle to make ends meet. More information from ALICE can be found here: ALICE.

Our History

Hudson Area Backpack & Food Programs (HAB&FP) dates back to 2007 when a local school nurse noticed that students were coming to school on Mondays complaining of stomach aches because they lacked adequate nutrition during the weekend with little or no food available at home.

Local churches originally packed and distributed the food backpacks sent home with elementary students. As awareness of the level of need in the community changed, the program began to grow to include students at the secondary and preschool levels. A summer food program and partnership with the Raider Network stores were eventually added.  With COVID-19, HAB&FP introduced drive thru food distribution and invited anyone experiencing food insecurity in Hudson and St. Croix County to participate.

Our Finances

The combined generosity of our community and foundation partners allows us to meet the needs of students/families facing economic and food insecurity in our community.  Over 26% of our funding is donated directly from the Hudson community.  Ninety-eight percent of our funding is used directly for programming.

Distributing food sourced from food banks and food rescue programs is a financially effective way to provide economic assistance.  Utilizing excess food in our country’s food supply in this manner is a benefit not only to families needing assistance, but for the country as a whole.

Volunteer Support

All programs are implemented by dedicated volunteers from the community.  The Hudson Area Backpack & Food Program is served by a 13-member volunteer board.