To volunteer, please send an email to bpbackpackprogram@gmail.com and our Coordinator, Karen Peterson will reply to you to see where you can best help our program.

Ways to Volunteer

1) Driver(s) - A volunteer driver is needed most Wednesday evenings during the school year to drive the packed bags of food to the Blooming Prairie Elementary School and place in the conference room between 6:45pm - 7:30pm. A vehicle that is large enough to hold 10-12 totes of packed bags is essential for this volunteer role. The volunteer driver for this role will arrive at the back door of the St. Columbanus Catholic Church parish to pick up the packed bags of food at 6:45pm. The back door of the parish will be unlocked for you to load your vehicle.

2) Packer (s) Occasionally throughout the school year, volunteer packers are needed to pack bags of food for enrolled students in the Blooming Prairie Backpack Program.

3) Unloader (s) Volunteers are needed occasionally throughout the year to help sort donated food or set up for each week. This volunteer position needs to be done when our Coordinator is present or when the church secretary is available at St. Columbanus Catholic Church Parish School, typically Monday - Thursday mornings after 9am. Please email us to learn more about these volunteer opportunities.

To donate non-perishable foods, you can drop donations off at St. Columbanus Catholic Church Parish School located across the street from St. Columbanus Catholic Church in the second classroom on the right. Donations may be placed on the first NSF shelf, which has a sign on it saying donations go here.

Our most needed items are shelf stable snacks, breakfast items, lunch items, fruit cups, applesauce cups, granola bars, cereal cups, etc. We do have an Amazon wish list which is updated fairly regularly here: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/340RLSA7FYZW5?ref_=wl_share

Monetary Donations are always needed and can be donated through Square or by mailing a check to PO Box 261, Blooming Prairie, MN 55917. All monetary donations are tax deductible as allowed by law as this program is a registered 501c3. Tax ID: 82-4373382