Blessings in a Backpack

Hunger Doesn't Take Weekends Off

Our Mission

Blessings in a Backpack mobilizes communities, individuals, and resources to provide food on the weekends for elementary school children across America who might otherwise go hungry.

Our Vision

Every school-aged child in America has the nourishment needed to learn and grow. As a leader in the movement to end childhood hunger, Blessings in a Backpack strives to ensure children don’t go hungry on the weekends by empowering individuals and communities to take action.

What Do We Do?

Blessings in a Backpack provides elementary schoolchildren who are on the federal Free and Reduced Price Meal Program with a backpack of food to take home for 38 weekends during the school year. Backpack food includes easy-to-prepare, ready-to-eat foods, like granola bars, juice boxes, mac and cheese, and oatmeal.

Why Do We Do It?

There are 20+ million children in this country who are at risk of hunger. The consequences of hunger are much more than a growling stomach. Poor nutrition can result in a weaker immune system, increased hospitalization, lower IQ, shorter attention spans, and lower academic achievement. Children are fed during the school week by federal government programs, but we want to make sure they’re getting nutritional meals over the weekend, too.

Blessings in a Backpack is a 501 C (3) non-profit organization currently feeding over 76,000 children 800 schools in 44 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The program is a hybrid of private sector funding and public partnership carried out in public schools. We are feeding the future of America, one school at a time.

How Much Does it Cost?

$80 - $100 feeds one child on the weekends for one 38 week school year through the Blessings in a Backpack program. 50 kids at $80 is $4,000 to get started. 100% of money raised to fund a school goes to feeding that school.

The Results: Nourished Kids Ready to Learn

Students who participate in the Blessings in a Backpack program show marked improvement in school attendance, test scores, behavior, and health. Food is an essential building block, and in this case truly is a blessing, especially to a hungry child! Visit the Get Involved section of our site to find out the various ways in which you can help Blessings in a Backpack feed more children.