This week on Spotlight On Maryland, Gina Crash spoke with Jenn Garner, Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Papa Johns, who leads the Papa John's Foundation for Building Community, and Christy Keppel, Director of Development and Community Relations at Weekend Backpacks here in Baltimore, about the grant they received, part of the $40,000 the Papa John's Foundation for Building Community awarded to 4 organizations in Baltimore that also included the Baltimore Hunger Project, Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland and Philanthropy Tank.
Founded in 2019, The Papa John's Foundation supports communities as they work together for equality, fairness, respect and opportunity for all. In the last 2 years, The Papa John's Foundation for Building Community has invested $80,000 directly into the local Baltimore community in support of 2 of their Foundation's focus areas: Youth Leadership & Entrepreneurship and Food Security.
The mission of Weekend Backpacks is to improve the lives of students affected by food insecurity in Baltimore. Weekend Backpacks consistently works with local companies, grocery stores, and the Maryland Food Bank to procure healthy food in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Every week Weekend Backpacks receives a call from another school or community coordinator asking to join the program. The need is great. Weekend Backpacks budgets $15,000 per school for the year which includes food bags and supplemental items. The Papa John's Foundation for Building Community allows them to support a school for the academic school year.
For more information about Weekend Backpacks, visit weekendbackpacks.org. You can also follow them on Instagram and Facebook. For more information about the Papa John's Foundation for Building Community, visit papajohns.com/foundation.
Click below to listen to the interview and to find out more.
