Jolene Mowry, Founder of Back Pack Kidz.

In 2010 Jolene found so many young children in Charlotte County were going hungry on the weekends, they were unable to focus and function properly in class. Children were coming into school on Monday very lethargic due to lack of nutrition. Jolene and the Yah Yah Girls founded the Back Pack Kidz program to address this crisis. It is her example of putting heart and soul into this endeavor that encourages the Yah Yah Girls and our community members and valued sponsors to continue to work and support Back Pack Kidz, and to also expand it until all the neediest elementary and middle school children in Charlotte County have food to eat on the weekends.

The Yah Yah Girls, Inc., a 501(c)(3) charity corporation has been working for the neediest children of Charlotte County.  During the early spring of 2010, we learned there was a serious problem in our County:  some children on free and reduced lunch at school left school on Friday and received little to no food until they returned to school on Monday morning.  As inconceivable as it was, children here, in our community, were going hungry on the weekends! The Yah Yah Girls unanimously agreed this crisis needed to be addressed, and going forward, bridging the weekend hunger gap of our community’s neediest children would be our #1 project.  Over 80 men and women, all volunteers, are committed to helping secure the needs of these children.

Thus, a new chapter began for Yah Yah Girls, Inc. Back Pack Kidz was born!  Since our decision to dedicate our fundraising efforts to Back Pack Kidz, our volunteers have stocked and delivered over 800 backpacks per week.  This food directly helps Charlotte County’s neediest children in a substantial and sustained way.

Our organization is made up of members and many volunteers.