With schools now out for the summer, our BackPack Buddies program has also wrapped up for the season. Each weekend during the school year, we sent the neediest kids home with six balanced meals and two healthy snacks to keep their bellies full over the weekend. Without this program, many students may not have a meal between Friday’s lunch and Monday’s breakfast at school. This academic year we continued to expand the number of children we were able to feed. By the numbers we...

Worked with 49 sites (up from 38 sites last year)
Fed 1,460 children (up from 1,036 children last year)
Distributed 45,098 Backpacks (up from 30, 257 BackPacks last year)
Provided 270,588 meals (up from 181,542 last year)
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Starting in August, we will kick off another year of BackPack Buddies, but the need doesn’t end just because school is no longer in session. In our 7 county service area, there are over 111,000 food insecure children who don't always know where their next meal is going to come from. In Wake County alone, 33% of children in school qualify for free and reduced-price lunch. These same children are still hungry during the summer, but no longer have access to the school meals offered weekdays during the school year. That's why we're taking part in Hunger-Free Summer, sponsored in part by ConAgra Foods through Feeding America. We’re providing breakfast, lunch, and snacks throughout the summer to 300 children a day in low-income areas at 7 locations, partnering with Raleigh Parks & Recreation. These nutritious meals are prepared by trainees and graduates of our Culinary Job Training Program.