Aaron Syring said he first learned several years ago during a parent-teacher conference that child hunger was an increasing problem in Oak Harbor

That realization led to the creation of a program in Oak Harbor that was already up and running in other communities.

With backing from the Rotary Club of Oak Harbor, of which Syring is a member, and the North Whidbey Sunrise Rotary Club, he was instrumental in obtaining a $7,000 district Rotary grant to launch the Food4Kids Backpack Program.

The program, which provides weekend meals for elementary school students in need, started Thanksgiving of 2014 and is continuing to grow.

THE PROGRAM started with 50 students participating, 10 from each Oak Harbor elementary school, Syring said.

By the end of its second year, which was this past June, Oak Harbor’s Backpack Program was helping 83 students.

“We learned some schools had a waiting list because they thought they only got so many,” said Rotary Club President Greg Smith.

Rotary was able to leverage the initial seed money with the help of other community partners to make it last and grow.

Now the club is at a point where it needs to raise more funds to keep the Backpack Program going.

“My goal is to try and keep this program over-funded so we’re not worried if more kids are added,” Syring said.

The Rotary Club is still waiting to learn how many students it will be serving this school year.

With new squadrons coming to the base, Syring said the program anticipates the number will grow.

“We’re prepared for that,” he said.

IT TAKES five to six people to facilitate the program each week. Students are identified through the schools by counselors; their names are not shared.

“We are blind as to who’s receiving,” Syring said.

Each student in the program receives a bag of food at the end of the week to take home.

Items include ready-to-eat meals that just need water added or to be heated like canned pasta, soup, macaroni and cheese, ramen and oatmeal. Bags also contain applesauce, granola bars and crackers.

Each bag contains seven meals, one for Friday night, three Saturday and three Sunday, Syring said.

ITEMS ARE bought in bulk from companies offering free shipping, so the only cost for the program is for the food.

The Backpack Program costs about $6.50 a week per student during the school year.

All items provided are approved by the school district, Smith said. “We try to find a balance with healthy options.”

For the first time, the program was able to provide food for 25 students from two of the elementary schools throughout this summer.

“We’re hoping to be able to support all of the schools (next) summer,” Syring said.

FUNDRAISING IS key to keeping the Backpack Program going.

“We’ve had a lot of organic support from people who’ve heard about the program,” Syring said. Some local businesses have contributed grant funding, others gifted services.

“It’s so rewarding, not just because of the kids (we’re helping) but for the people who are involved with it,” he said.

What’s also been rewarding, both Smith and Syring said, is seeing the impact the program has had.

Smith recounted a conversation about the program with a client who recently retired as a teacher.

“She was practically in tears talking about this one specific girl and how malnourished she had been,” Smith said. “One day, when the little girl had been home sick, her dad came to the school to pick up her bag.”

“That’s how important it was to them.”

SYRING ECHOES those sentiments, sharing an experience he had when volunteering in the Rotary Club’s annual fireworks booth.

A man came to buy fireworks and pointed at a backpack on display that advertised the Food4Kids program. Syring said the guy told him he came to buy fireworks specifically to help support the Backpack Program because his own children were beneficiaries when his own family was experiencing hard times.

“It’s cool to see stuff come full circle,” Syring said.

PROCEEDS from last month’s Hydros for Heroes event will go to Rotary Club of Oak Harbor, part of that money specifically alotted to the Food4Kids Backpack Program.

The actual dollar amount  is yet to be determined.

Meanwhile, the community has another opportunity next week to help support the Backpack Program.

Whidbey Island Small Business Association is holding its first ever Oktoberfest from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, in downtown Oak Harbor.

The event will include the traditional beer and pretzels, but also live music and vendor booths.

“Selene Muldowney with the Small Business Association invited Rotary to be a beneficiary of the event,” Smith said.

“She’s so passionate about Rotary and the programs we support.”

Rotary will operate the beer garden and sell beer for $5. All the proceeds go to Food4Kids.

Smith said half of the vendor fees from the event will also be donated to Rotary.