NORMA RABOIN AND Candy Buchcuski pack up bags for the Grace United Lunch Packs, or GULP, program, which provides food to students in Norway-Vulcan and Holy Spirit schools to take home for the weekend. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

NORWAY — Norma Raboin’s retirement from full-time teaching last year didn’t mean she’d stop helping students.

In fact, it gave her the green light to pursue a pet project at Norway-Vulcan Elementary and Holy Spirit School.

Raboin has established the Grace United Lunch Packs, or GULP, program that at the end of every school week provides bags packed with two breakfasts, two lunches, two snacks and a can of fruit or vegetables that students “in need” — anyone can participate if they choose — take home to tide them over for the weekend.

About five years ago, Raboin saw a TV story about the 31 Backpacks program in Houghton and knew local students had a similar need.

“My heart was just telling me to do this, but I didn’t have the time,” Raboin said. “When I retired last year from Norway-Vulcan School District, I thought now is the time to get this going.”

Raboin secured 501(c)(3) non-profit status through Grace United Methodist Church in Norway and began to seek grants and donations from local churches and businesses for the program.

After receiving her first few donations and a small grant through the Dickinson County Community Foundation, Raboin began buying food over the summer with assistance from Chris Spence, who works exclusively with Feeding America through Grace United.

“She helped me with many of my purchases,” Raboin said. “It’s unbelievable, how she can make a small amount of money stretch.”

They also focused on trying to make the selections as healthy as possible.

Her initial plan was to use a classroom at Norway-Vulcan Area Schools for storage and distribution, but laws separating church and state meant making other arrangements. Yet she still wanted those students to have access to the program.

Holy Spirit Catholic School did agree to dedicate the space — but also convinced her to teach math and science part-time, she said with a laugh.

“My retirement was short but at least I got the program running,” she said.

And after jumping through a lot of hoops, plus Sarah Davy of the Norway PTO allowing her to be part of their organization, Raboin’s program is able to distribute the food at Norway-Vulcan schools as well.

“The only change I was required to make was changing the name to the ‘Norma Raboin Feeding Program,'” she said, adding it didn’t matter what they called it.

Introductory letters were sent home with students at the beginning of the year, explaining what the program offered and required. Parents could sign up at no expense.

While the program is considered need-based, they do not do any kind of income check, Raboin said. But she noted that 51 percent of students in the district receive free or reduced lunch, so she thought many of those would participate in the program.

Another important feature, she said, is distributions are discreet. Volunteers have special coding to know which students receive the bags.

The program now packs 60 bags a week, 40 for Norway-Vulcan schools and 20 for Holy Spirit students. It has been running smoothly for six weeks at Holy Spirit and three weeks at Norway.

Raboin credits Davy, teacher Renee Pollard and her student assistants, as well as the Norway volleyball team, for helping get those bags of food into students’ backpacks at the public school each week.

Holy Spirit is smaller, so teachers are able to handle the distributions.

The program has been well received at both schools, with only positive feedback, she said.

“Kids seem to really look forward to Fridays, when they have stuff to bring home,” she said.

But Raboin realizes the money they’ve secured so far will run out quickly, given the amount of food going out.

The program is funded entirely through grants and donations, including Grace United Methodist Church, Holy Spirit School, Norway Eye Care, Norway Dental, Danielson Insurance, Marquette District UMC, ERA Chevrolet, Dickinson Area Community Foundation, Community Bible Chapel and Walmart.

“We are always in need of donations of food or money,” Raboin said. “We love for anyone to consider giving to this worthy cause, which are tax deductible.”

Anyone with questions can contact Raboin at 906-282-7147 or Grace United Methodist Church at 906-563-8917.

She recently applied for a larger grant and plans to approach the philanthropic group 100-Plus Women Who Care, but will label the charity as a children’s outreach program through Grace Methodist that includes not only the GULP program but a coat closet and child crisis fund for those with medical issues, parents who have divorced or died, or otherwise are in need.

“If God wants it to work, it will,” Raboin said. “It’s coming little by little.”