More than 80,000 Maine children qualify for free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program. But what happens to those children when they go home over the weekend?

That’s the question Auburn’s Kate Dargie asked after seeing a “Dr. Oz Show” segment on the effects of hunger on children and on an effort to send children home from school every Friday with food for the weekend.

Now she’s trying to raise $10,000 by Aug. 20 for her BackPack Program, aimed at providing needy students at an Auburn school with nutritious, easy-to-prepare food for the weekends and school vacations, when school meals are unavailable.

She’s doing that when she’s not at work in Scarborough helping people with developmental and acquired disabilities. Making a difference.

Name: Kate Dargie

Age: 23

Hometown: Auburn

Occupation: Direct support specialist at Residential Resources in Portland and part-time communications coordinator at Central Maine Community College.

How did this desire to supply food for kids on the weekends start? I was watching Dr. Oz’s special on eliminating childhood hunger in America and thought that it would be great to have something like that in Auburn. I emailed the producer and heard back a month later and they gave me the contact information for the people in this area. Once I received the information I followed up and started the fundraising process.

What was so compelling about what Dr. Oz said that made you want to take on such a big project? Children are our future. If they are malnourished and are not getting the proper nutrition they require on a daily basis they will not be able to absorb as much information in the classroom. I think it is really important to help children succeed, and part of that starts with eating properly and having adequate amounts of food available.

When did you start this campaign and when will it end? I started talking with Shannon and Clara at the Good Shepherd Food bank in May and started fundraising in June. I currently have until August 20 to raise the money.

$10,000 is a lot of money. You’re about in the middle of the campaign. How’s it going? Things are going very well. I am blown away by the support I have been receiving from community members. This project has really opened my eyes and made me appreciate how wonderful the members of this community are.

Why Park Avenue School? Currently two other schools in Auburn have this program, but they are grant funded. When I took on this project, my friend Maggie Soule, who is the librarian there (at Park Avenue School), expressed the need for food because a lot of children that attend Park Avenue School are going hungry on the weekends. We thought that because she works there it would be a great place to donate the funds to.

Is this your first big fundraising effort for a cause? Yes, and so far it has been a challenging but rewarding experience.

When you’re not helping people at work or raising money to help people in your community, what do you do for fun? I enjoy staying active. I like to go to the gym, hike, play sports, coach softball, go camping, spend time with my family/friends and read.

Favorite place to hike/camp? To date Acadia National Park has been my favorite place to hike. The views from the top of Cadillac Mountain are breathtaking!

Favorite camp meal . . . since eating is half the fun of hiking and camping? Breakfast! I am a huge fan of making eggs, toast and sausage on the grill!

How can people donate or get involved? People can donate securely online through the Good Shepherd Food Bank using this link: http://gsfb.org/park-ave-school-backpack-fundraiser/. Or if they would prefer to send a check, please make it out to Good Shepherd Food Bank and write Park Avenue School BackPack Program in the memo line. Mail to: Good Shepherd Food Bank, PO Box 1807 Auburn, ME 04211. We are also hosting a Co-Ed Slow Pitch Softball Tournament on Aug. 4 in Auburn. If people are interested they can contact me for more information to either sign up to play or volunteer that day. For additional information contact Dargie at [email protected]