The holiday season is a time for giving. This holiday season, Rittgers Rittgers & Nakajima is giving $10,000 to a program that helps feed students in Warren County public schools through the Lebanon Warrior Backpack Program.
The Lebanon Warrior Backpack Program provides six meals to take home every Friday for students who qualify for free and reduced school lunch. The program partners with Kroger which provides bags for meals and Life House Church which provides a building for storing and packing food. Food is purchased from Shared Harvest Foodbank in Butler County. Because of the generous program partners, sponsorship for one student for the entire school year is only $45.
It comes to no surprise that student improvement evaluations show sharp increase in behavior, appearance, and performance for students who benefit from the Backpack Program. The program is in its 10th year and has packed and delivered over 500,000 meals to students in Warren County.
Charles H. and Ellen Rittgers first donated when the program was launched ten years ago. This year the law firm gave a more substantial donation to increase the reach and effectiveness of the program and to commemorate its success over the past ten years.
This school year, the program will benefit roughly 350 Warren County students. There are no administrative costs. One-hundred percent of all donations are given to purchase food. To donate or get more information, contact Lee Pennekamp at [email protected].