WALA- December 17, 2011
MOBILE - Thanks to the generosity of Airbus Americas Mobile, Alabama, employees, beginning this week, 30 students at Maryvale Elementary School will start receiving easy-to-prepare food to take home in their backpacks on Fridays.
The 200-plus employees located at Airbus Engineering Center at Brookley Aeroplex donated enough money to launch and support the Bay Area Food Bank‟s Backpack Program at Maryvale for one year.
“Once the employees on the Airbus-Mobile Community Relations Committee learned about this program, they were eager to adopt a local school,” said Amy Pearson, Engineering Project Coordinator at Airbus-Mobile. “This program is a perfect fit for our mission to support education and make a real difference in our own neighborhood.”
According to Bay Area Food Bank, teachers know that children who come to school hungry on Monday are not ready to learn. With the Backpack Program, the organization works with the school's teachers and counselors to identify students in need.
On Fridays, the food bank delivers a weekly supply of packs containing easy-to-prepare, child-friendly food for meals and snacks, and the students pick up their meals and discreetly take them home in their own backpacks.
“It is great that Airbus employees have stepped forward to provide support for our Backpack Program,” said David Reaney, Executive Director of Bay Area Food Bank. “We know that kids who are hungry can‟t study and the staff at Maryvale has identified 30 students who need help that will be receiving food on weekends thanks to Airbus‟ donation.”
Airbus manufactures the most modern and eco-efficient family of airliners available, ranging from 100 to over 500 seats. At its facilities in Wichita, Kansas and Mobile, Alabama, Airbus Americas helps engineer the entire product line.