Sending Student Hunger Packing

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Texas Trust Donates $7,000 to Desoto ISD Elementary School to Send Student Hunger Packing

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Desoto ISD’s Cockrell Hill Elementary Childhood Hunger Initiative Power Pack program (CHIPP) got a boost from Arlington-based Texas Trust Credit Union. Its donation of $7,000 will provide non-perishable food to keep students from going hungry over weekends and during school breaks.

Through CHIPP, Cockrell Hill Elementary provides “power pack” backpacks filled with nutritious food for 100 students each Friday, ensuring they have something healthy to eat over the weekend until they return to school. Each power pack contains breakfast, lunch, snacks for two days and a can of vegetables and fruit.

Students who come to school hungry have difficulty focusing, negatively impacting their learning ability. The Cockrell Hill CHIPP program, which began during the 2023–2024 school year, helps care for the students whose families may be struggling to put food on the table.

“When children are hungry, they are distracted and not likely to do well in school,” said Velisha Mosby, DeSoto ISD PTA Council president. “Our power pack program supplements children’s meals at home so they can eat well and come to school prepared to learn.”

Mosby added, “We are grateful to Texas Trust for their donation and concern about our students’ well-being.”

The power pack backpacks generally contain enough food to replace the meals a child would receive at school. The program is managed by volunteers affiliated with The Pearls of the Ivy Foundation, Inc. and overseen by the Desoto ISD PTA Council executive board.

In addition, volunteers from Texas Trust, alongside community volunteers, help prepare the bags for distribution every month.

“Inflation is having a significant impact on families, which is increasing food insecurity among children,” said Toni Nichols, public relations manager for Texas Trust Credit Union. “Through this program, we are able to have a direct impact on student success and help build a stronger community.”

Texas Trust supported the Cockrell Hill Elementary CHIPP program through a grant received from the Cornerstone Foundation, the charitable arm of the Cornerstone Credit Union League.