STE. GENEVIEVE — The Ste. Genevieve County R-II School District is proud to highlight the remarkable impact of two key programs—Care to Learn and Backpacks for Friday—that continue to support our students and families by meeting critical health, hunger, and hygiene needs.
Care to Learn: Meeting Immediate Needs, One Student at a Time
School Social Worker Stephanie Gegg, Chapter Liaison for Care to Learn Ste. Genevieve, recently presented a year-in-review of the program’s first full year in the district. Care to Learn Ste. Genevieve provides immediate funding to address students’ basic needs, allowing them to focus on learning without the distraction of unmet personal necessities.
Each year, approximately 1,800 students attend SG R-II. While most of our families are able to stock up on the necessities, some have a much harder time making ends meet. The mission of the Care to Learn Ste. Genevieve Chapter is to provide immediate funding to meet students’ emergent health, hunger, and hygiene needs so they can be successful in school.
If a student’s need involves health, hunger, or hygiene, Care to Learn can help. Over the past school year, Care to Learn helped students and families in a variety of ways:
- Health: Crutch tips for safety, medication co-pays so students don’t have lapses in their medications, glasses, pest control (pet flea and tick medication), dental needs
- Hunger: Grocery vouchers (through collaboration with Save a Lot), food bags and maintaining food drawers, lunch balances, Walmart pick-ups or deliveries
- Hygiene: Toilet paper, laundry detergent/fabric softener, pull-ups, wipes, hygiene products, laundromat vouchers
- Emergent Needs: Shoes, clothing, home extermination, hotel room, sensory supportive tools, dumpster rental
This past school year, the Ste. Genevieve chapter met 6,732 individual student needs. Our Care to Learn team helps to respond to student needs efficiently and discreetly, while we partner with the community to provide those students with the resources they need. Funding for many of these services has also been supported by Care to Learn Central Office contributions ($1,250 this past year), and a DESE reimbursement grant ($51,000 this past year).
Anyone interested in learning more can find information on our Care to Learn webpage on the district website: https://caretolearn.org/stegenevieve/
Anyone who would like to make a donation to our local Care to Learn chapter can do so either online at bit.ly/dragongiving, or can make a donation via a tax-deductible check payable to “Care to Learn Ste. Genevieve” and mailed to:
Ste. Genevieve County R-II School District
Attn: Erin Jokerst
375 North Fifth Street
Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670
Backpacks for Friday: Fighting Hunger, One Backpack at a Time
Mrs. Gegg also shared an update on the Backpacks for Friday program, now operating under the Care to Learn umbrella. The program provides weekly food staples to 56 families across the district in partnership with the Southeast Missouri Food Bank.
The District partners with the Southeast Missouri Food Bank to organize the program, which is funded through donations from community organizations, local businesses and residents. These donations are a vital contribution, as these partnerships assist us in the fight against hunger here in our community. This year, the district maintained 56 backpacks at $350 apiece (with $60 each covered by the Food Bank). One backpack provides 36 weeks of healthy, nutritious food.
This year, 22 backpacks were utilized at Bloomsdale Elementary, which has an enrollment of 283 students, and 34 backpacks were utilized at Ste. Genevieve Elementary, which has an enrollment of 592 students.
Mrs. Gegg shared a special thanks to our elementary counselors, who help to determine the number of backpacks needed at their buildings and who help coordinate the program; the students in the STARS program, as well as Jon Robinson, Joseph Hull, and Susan Flieg, who help organize and transport the monthly shipments; and our Maintenance Department who help to coordinate delivery.
Looking ahead to the 2026-2027 school year, the district is collaborating with Care to Learn to enhance the Backpacks for Friday program by providing a greater variety of food items and more complete meal options for participating families. The district plans to expand the program from 56 backpacks to between 70 and 75 backpacks, with approximately 35 to 37 backpacks serving students at Bloomsdale Elementary and 37 to 40 backpacks serving students at Ste. Genevieve Elementary. The program will continue to provide 36 weeks of healthy food, beginning the first week of September and continuing through the first week of May. The anticipated cost will increase to between $400 and $450 per backpack, with funding provided through the continued generosity of community organizations, local businesses, community members and a DESE grant.
To contribute specifically to the Backpacks for Friday Program, donors may send a check with “Backpacks for Friday” in the memo line to:
Dr. John Boyd
SG R-II Assistant Superintendent
375 North Fifth Street
Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670
A Community Effort
SG R-II would like to express its deepest gratitude to the many local individuals, businesses, and organizations who made these programs possible. From anonymous donors to longtime community partners, your support ensures that no student has to go without the basics.
Together, through Care to Learn and Backpacks for Friday, we are helping students stay focused on what matters most—learning, growing, and thriving.
SG R-II would like to share a heartfelt thank you to the following 2025-2026 donors whose donations funded our Care to Learn Chapter this past school year:
- Ability Network
- Ameritime
- Andrea Fritsch
- The Artisan
- Bales Concrete (Valerie Bales)
- Basler Funeral Home
- Bauman Sealcoating & Striping
- Becky Aubuchon
- Beussink, Hey, Roe & Stroder
- Billy & Diane Staffen
- Bloomsdale Excavating
- Board of Education Members
- Bre Uzzell
- Brittany Gegg
- Brockmiller Construction
- CE Contracting
- Children’s Therapy Support
- Citizens Electric
- Darla Bahr
- Debbie Fischer
- Debbie Pfaff
- Don Heil Oil Co.
- Donna Marler
- Edward Jones
- Edward Jones (Matt Trautman)
- Equipment Pro
- First Baptist Church
- First State Community Bank
- GFWC Woman’s Club of Ste. Genevieve
- GymShe
- Hall of Fame Trophies & Awards
- Jamie Fischer
- Jessica Harlow
- Jodi Brown
- John Boyd
- Jocelyn & Kevin Ord
- Katherine Schwent
- Kim Basler
- KRJ Architecture
- Kyla Parker
- Lemon Theory Design
- Lhoist North America
- Lisa Fargo
- Little Saline Sportsmens Club
- Lost Acres Antique Tractor Club
- Luann Basler
- J. Hart & Company
- Marita Bergtholdt
- MLC
- & Mrs. John Kunz
- & Mrs. Richard and Teresa Slough
- & Mrs. Stephen Gettinger
- Nardone Brothers Baking Co.
- Premier Shutters & Blinds (Vivian Kiefer)
- R&K Excavation
- RGA
- Richardet Floor Covering
- Rick & Marcia Schaefer
- River Hills Thunderin’ Longbeards
- Ron & Linda Bollinger
- Rotary Club of Ste. Genevieve
- Sara Roth’s 2nd Grade Class
- Software Unlimited
- Genevieve National Education Association
- Genevieve Vision Care
- University of Missouri Extension Council
- VFW Ste. Genevieve Post 2210
- Weingarten Jaycees
Given in memory of Carolyn Basler
- Charles & Sara Drost III
- Debbie LaPlante
- John & Jean Vogt
- John Duggan
- Julie Gabriel & Don Fox
- Kelly & Tim Gettinger
- Larry & Marie Vogt
- Matt & Jamie Ballew
- Stephen & Margaret Gettinger
Given in memory of Darla Bahr
- Abigail Pfaff
- Amy Rowland
- Bloomsdale PTO
- Colleen McClure
- CTL Springfield Office
- Daryl & Amy Pfaff
- Debbie LaPlante
- Diahann Bieser
- Helen Brown
- Jana Bahr
- Kaitlin Spraul
- Kim Basler
- Kyla Parker
- Lynette Pfaff
- Marcia Nelson
- Maria Pfaff
- & Mrs. Don Diesel
- & Mrs. James Bell
- & Mrs. John Zerwig
- & Mrs. Lee Lottes
- & Mrs. Paul Harmon
- & Mrs. Robert Donovan
- & Mrs. Robert Pfaff
- & Mrs. Stephen Gettinger
- Nathan Kingery
- Sandy Reed
- Scott & Gretchen Bauman
- Wayne & Janette Bohnert
SG R-II would like to share a heartfelt thank you to the following 2025-2026 donors whose donations funded the backpacks for the upcoming 2026-2027 school year:
- Andrea Fritsch
- Beta Rho
- Donna Marler
- Elaine Belovich
- Jessica Harlow
- Richard & Teresa Slough
- Ron & Linda Bollinger
- SGCMH
- Genevieve Elks Lodge 2674
*Donations made during a school year actually fund the following school year’s backpacks for students. The group of donors listed above made donations from July 2025 – June 2026.