In its first year, the Park Bird Feeder received nearly 5,000 food items and sent home more than 280 food packages disguised as regular backpacks, according to senior Amra Mucic, co-manager of the Bird Feeder.

The weekend food pack program began last year after business education teacher Sophia Ross noticed a fundraiser for a food shelf at her children’s school in Spring Lake Park.

With the help of the community service class, Ross said she was able to do some research about implementing an in-school food shelf at Park. According to Ross, a daunting statistic proved many students were in need.

“We found out that there were about 35 percent of our students on free or reduced lunch at the beginning of the school year last year,” Ross said.

Ross said Jenna Behnken, who graduated last year, did a great job starting up the Bird Feeder as its first manager. Mucic said she hopes to keep up the good work started last year, but wants more students to know about the program.

“We just want to continue that [good work] and make the Bird Feeder a concrete program at St. Louis Park,” Mucic said. “The thing that we’d like to change is to get the word out more since not many people know about the Bird Feeder or what it does.”

Senior and co-manager Fiona Gabay also said she hopes to inform more students about the Bird Feeder.

“I hope to see that more people will know what it is, and that we will get more help from everyone, and that more parents will get involved, and that kids will be more excited about it,” Gabay said.

The Bird Feeder recently appeared at the back to school open house Sept. 8 and the Homecoming parade on Sept. 12. Students will soon be able to purchase discounted tickets to the Sadie Hawkins dance by donating food items, according to Gabay.