The Eaglet Pals program was developed through the Beaufort County Schools to provide weekend meals to pre-qualified (School Lunch Program) students at Snowden Elementary School, Aurora, NC. Parents receive a letter asking if they would like to participate. The school determines how many students will participate and notifies Eagle's Wings, who purchases food through the Food Bank of the Albemarle (FBA). The Eaglet Pals program is a separate entity within Eagle's Wings, so the FBA is billed separately.

Eagle's Wings buys the Eaglet Pals packs by the pallet, which take about three weeks to arrive. The pre-packaged Snack Packs contain 1 milk, 2 fruits, 2 juices, 2 cereals, macaroni & cheese, and 1 entree. These are small, easy-to-open, single-serving packs. Eagle's Wings adds 1 additional unit of milk to the pack.

Aurora United Methodist Church partners with Eagle's Wings to pick up the food at our facility, pack it in backpacks, add additional fresh fruits, popcorn, and snacks, and deliver them to the school on Friday morning.

Food is distributed by the bus drivers as the children get off their buses. Children return the bags to the drivers on Monday morning. Each family is given a number corresponding to the numbered bags. Every effort is made to protect the confidentiality of the families.

We hope to expand this program to other schools in the Fall of 2011.