Abbott program distributes food and more to needy families

Some school districts in Lake County provide free breakfasts and lunches to students from low-income families, while others in communities with a substantial percentage of below-average earners do the same for every child. Most such programs are federally funded.

When weekends arrive, the Northern Illinois Food Bank, with help from partners like North Chicago-based Abbott, fill the void through the BackPack Program. Jen Lamplough, the food bank’s chief impact officer, said the effort provides enough food for each family for nine to 11 meals.

“The BackPack Program is privately funded,” Lamplough said. “The school programs are (mostly) publicly funded by federal programs. This helps tide families over on the weekends and into the next week.”

Kathryn McKenzie, the vice president of the Abb