Sizzle Dining 2025: Learn more about Blessings in a Backpack
THAT’S YOUR FORECAST FROM GULF COAST WEATHER. >> WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT SIZZLE DINING FOR WEEKS, BUT TODAY WE’RE FOCUSING ON WHY IT MATTERS SO MUCH. WE’RE HERE WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK TO TALK ABOUT HOW YOUR NIGHT OUT IS HELPING FEED LOCAL KIDS. PLEASE WELCOME TO THE STUDIO. JEN ROBINSON. JEN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WE SURE APPRECIATE IT IF HAPPEN GOOD MORNING, THIS IS SUCH A FANTASTIC CHARITY AND I LOVE THAT THIS EFFORT. THIS IS A DINING HAS GROWN AND GROWN AND GROWN. IF PEOPLE AREN’T AWARE OF WHAT BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK IS EXACTLY. COULD YOU EXPLAIN IT FOR US? YEAH. BLESSINGS MISSION IS TO PROVIDE WEEKEND FOOD FOR OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE FACING FOOD INSECURITY WHO MAY NOT ALWAYS HAVE FOOD AVAILABLE TO THEM OV THE WEEKEND. SO WE COMPLIMENT AND SUPPLEMENT THE BREAKFAST, A LUNCH PROGRAM OUR SCHOOLS. AND WE PROVIDE WEEKEND MEALS TO OUR STUDENTS THAT CONTAIN. >> BREAKFAST AND LUNCH AND SOME SNACKS TO CARRY THEM THROUGH THE WEEKEND. SO WHEN MONDAY COMES BACK AND THEY’RE READY TO COME BACK TO SCHOOL, THEY’RE THEY’RE FUELED AND READY TO LEARN. >> IN JANUARY, A LONGTIME TEACHER AT LEE COUNTY SCHOOL. SO YOU’VE SEEN FIRST AND I KNOW I HAVE AS WELL WORKING WITH THE SCHOOLS THAT THERE ARE SOME ME SCHOOLS WITHIN OUR SYSTEM AND SOME KIDS WITHIN EACH SCHOOL ONE SCHOOL AND ON FRIDAY, THEY DON’T HAVE ANYTHING UNTIL MONDAY. AND THAT’S REALLY HARD TO BELIEVE IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT FITS THE SAD REALITY. THIS IS REALLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR THEM. >> HOW DOES IT HASN’T WORKED THESE PACKETS? I SAID, OH, MY GOSH, MY KIDS THAT ACTUALLY JUST OKAY. >> SO WE HAVE 6 TO 9 PRODUC THAT ARE IN EACH PACKAGE AND EACH FRIDAY OUR STUDENTS ARE SENT HOME WITH OUR FOOD BAGS AND IT CONTAINS PROTEINS AND HAS A MULTI GRAIN AND GH IN FIBER STUFF THAT OUR KIDS NEED TO FUEL THEM. BUT IT’S ALSO PRODUCTS THAT ARE REALLY DOUBLE AND IDENTIFY BRANDS THAT THEY RECOGNIZE AND THINGS AT THEY WANT TO ALL OF RAW DATA ON THERE WE GO, OUR SHELF STABLE. SO IT DOESN’T REQUIRE REFRIGERATION DOESN’T REQUIRE APPLIANCES TO PREPARE IT. AND IT’S EASILY OPEN BY LITTLE HANDS SO THEY CAN OPEN ABOUT ITEAH, IT LOOKS SOME DUTCH APPLE YOGURT HERE. GO. GRAHAM CRACKERS ARE GREAT. >> THEPPLE JACKS, ALL OF THESE THINGS DO LOOK LIKE FUN SNACKS, BUT THE FACT THAT YOU CAN’T USE IT, YOCAN’T BUY RIGHT. YES. SO WE HAVE BUYING POWER AND WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY SOURCING IN EVALUATING OUR PRODUCTS. >> SO THE CEREAL IS FULL OF MULTI GREENS THAT YOU CAN’T GET A STORE AT PUBLIX. SO IT’S KIND OF ICE. IT SNEAKING ATTRITION. ITS PRODUCTS THAT OUR KIDS WANT TO EAT AND I REALLY DOUBLE TO THEM. TT’S FANTASTIC. SO DO THEY GET THIS EVERY FRIDAY? HOW MANY PACKETS TODAY THAT IT IS? IT WON’T BE A CHILD. SO WE ARE ACROSS THE 5 COUNTY AREA AND WE ARE SUPPORTING 8,000 STUDENTS ACROSS AREA. AND THAT EQUATES TO 288,000 MAIL PACKS EVERY FRIDAY FROM THE SCHOOL YEAR. SO EACH FRIDAY OUR STUDENTS ARE GIVEN THE FOOD PRODUCT AND IN THEIR BACKPACK DISCREETLY AND SENT HOME TO HAVE THAT FUEL OVER THE WEEKEND TO HAVE A NUTRITION. DISCREETLY IS KEY. I LOVE THAT PART OF THE MISSION BECAUSE I HAVE KIDS. IT’S YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE EMBARRSING FOR THESE KIDS ARE MAYBE THEY DON’T WANT TO SPEAK UP. SO THESE ARE GIVEN TO THEM KIND OF ON ON THE SLICER. FRIENDS MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT THEIR SITUATION IS AND THEY STILL HAVE FULL BELLIES. YES, ABSOLUTELY. I LOVE THAT. ABSOLUTELY. LOVE THAT. HOW DOES BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK BENEFIT FROM SIZZLE? BECAUSE THIS IS A BIT OF A THING. I KNOW GUYS. ISIL IS AWOME SILE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE IS REMARKABLE BECAUSE IT’S A SLOWER SEON. GETS A CHANCE FOR PEOPLE TO GO OUT AND DINE AND HAVE SOME FUN. JOY, OUR RESTAURANTS FOR BLESSINGS FOR EACH SIZZLE MEAL THAT’S PURCHASED A DOLLAR COMES BACK TO OUR ORGANIZATION. WOW. SO YOU THINK ABOUT ALL OF THE RESTAURANTS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER HOW BENEFICIAL THAT IS FOR US AS AN ORGANIZATION THAT HELPS TO FUEL OUR MISSION, TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN THE COMMUNITY. SO WE’RE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE PARTNERSHIP WITH ALL THE RESTAURANTS FOR FOR MAKING IT HAPPEN. NOT ONLY DOES THAT BENEFIUS FINANCIALLY, BUT IT ALSO HELPS TO INCREASE AWARENESS IN OUR BECAUSE ASYOU MENTIONED, THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE FACING FOOD INSECURITY THAT WE MAY NOT EVEN KNOW THAT OUR NEIGHBORS THAT ARE NEXT NEIGHBOR ARE NEEDING SUPPORT. SO BY BY HAVING SIZZLE, IT HELPS OUR COMMUNITY. IT HELPS US WITH OUR MISSION. IT’S KIND OF A WIN-WIN. WELL, THE NUMBERS ARE ABSOLUTELY STAGGERING FOR SURE. I KNOW THAT SOME OUT THERE CONVO IT’S ONLY A DOLLAR PER MEAL. DOES THAT REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE? BUT IT OBVIOUSLY DOES HUGE DIFFERENCE JUST IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, THE DINING HAS BROUGHT IN OVER 150,000 FOR OREGON AS AND BECAUSE THIS WERE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND BE ABLE TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS AND OUR SCHOOLS. SO THEY SUCCESSFUL COME MONDAY MORNING. THAT’S AMAZING. AND HOW MUCH TO EACH OF ESE COSTS YOUR COST? TO EVEN SUPPORT A STUDENT FOR AN ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR IS $175. THAT GIVES A FOOD PACK EVERY FRIDAY TO ONE STUDENT IN OUR SCHOOLS EVERY WEEKEND THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR. SO THAT DOLLAR CAN REALLY GO A LONG WAY GO HUGE, LONG IT’S IT’S WONDERFUL. JEN, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. IT’S IT’S AMAZING SESSION OF WONDERFUL CHARITY. I KNOW PEOPLE MIGHT WANT TO HELP OUT AS WELL IN OTHER WAYS SIZZLE, DO OFFER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY. ABSOLUTELY. WE REALLY RALLY THE COMMUNITY AN PULL TOGETHER NOT ONLY THE COMMUNITY BUT RESOURCES TO MAKE THE MAGIC HAPPEN. SO IF THERE’S SOMEONE THAT WANTS TO GET INVOLVED, ECK OUT OUR WEBSITE, THERE’S SO MUCH INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN FIND ON THERE AND REACH OUT TO US BECAUSE WE LOVE TO PARTNER AND AND PULL TOGETHER THE RESOURCES TO CONTINUE OUR MISSION AND CONTINUE THE WORK THAT WE’RE DOING. >> THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU’RE DOING. IT’S IT’S TRULY INCREDIBLE. AND WHAT A WONDERFUL CHARITY TO SUPPORT. NOW WE WE FILL OUR BELLIES. WE FILL OUR HEARTS, ALL OF THESE THINGS AND WE FEEL THESE I LOVE IT. SIZZLE DINING GOING ON RIGHT NOW. IT DOES RUN THROUGH SEPTEMBER. 30TH. I LOVE THIS WHO ARE SUPPORTING LOCAL RESTAURANTS. THIS HAS BEEN A VERY, VERY, VERY TOUGH YEAR OF THE OFFSEASON’S. ALWAYS TOUGH FOR RESTAURANTS. BUT THIS YEAR’S BEEN EXCEPTIONALLY TOUGH. SO THIS GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP EVERYBODY IN TOWN. WE’RE GONNA PUT A LIST ON OF THE RESTAURANTS WHERE YOU CAN CHECK OUT THE SIZZLE DINING PARTICIPANTS AS WELL AS A LINK TO BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK ON OUR GULF COAS
Sizzle Dining 2025: Learn more about Blessings in a Backpack
Updated: 11:52 AM EDT Sep 4, 2025
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Sizzle Dining is now in full swing, so that means it’s time to grab a fork and your appetite and eat at one of the 127 participating local restaurants.All of this eating out will be for a good cause.On Thursday, Jenn Robinson, executive director of Blessings in a Backpack, came into the studio to tell us more about their mission and how exactly they benefit the children in our community.Blessings in a Backpack provides food to hungry children in Southwest Florida by providing them with backpacks full of fortified, nutritious food every weekend. This food is meant to fuel kids over the weekend, especially since many face food insecurity when away from school.Robinson showcased some of the items that are unique to their backpacks, meaning there are no store-bought equivalents.To learn more about Blessings in a Backpack, WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW ABOVE!DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
FORT MYERS, Fla. —
Sizzle Dining is now in full swing, so that means it’s time to grab a fork and your appetite and eat at one of the 127 participating local restaurants.
All of this eating out will be for a good cause.
On Thursday, Jenn Robinson, executive director of Blessings in a Backpack, came into the studio to tell us more about their mission and how exactly they benefit the children in our community.
Blessings in a Backpack provides food to hungry children in Southwest Florida by providing them with backpacks full of fortified, nutritious food every weekend. This food is meant to fuel kids over the weekend, especially since many face food insecurity when away from school.
Robinson showcased some of the items that are unique to their backpacks, meaning there are no store-bought equivalents.
To learn more about Blessings in a Backpack, WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW ABOVE!
DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
Dining and Cooking