When Friday Comes, a Full Backpack Can Mean So Much More
For some children, Friday afternoon means excitement for the weekend. For others, it can bring a question they shouldn’t have to worry about: “What will I eat this weekend?” For many students across DeSoto County, the meals they receive at school are among the most consistent meals they can count on. When school lets out on Friday, that consistency can disappear.
That is why DREAM Backpack exists.
Our mission is to fight weekend hunger and nourish hope by providing students with consistent, nutritious meals, ensuring that no child in DeSoto County goes hungry when school is out. And this year, the need has grown significantly.
At the end of last school year, DREAM Backpack was serving 163 students every week across 14 schools. By September, that number has grown to 278 students every week, and student referrals from those schools continue to come in. In just a few months, the program grew by more than 60%.
That growth is a reflection of a growing need, but it is also a reflection of what happens when a community comes together to care for its children.
Because of the generosity of our donors, DREAM Builders, our monthly giving community, and grant support from Molina Healthcare and the Community Foundation of Mississippi, we were able to expand DREAM Backpack Program inside the Dream Center this past summer.
We moved from a smaller room into a larger space with more shelving to store food and backpacks and, most importantly, more room for volunteers to gather and pack.
“Moving into a larger space has been so eye-opening. We can really see how many kids we’re serving and how much food it takes each week to make this program possible,” said Dream Center employee Paige Anthony.
Every week, volunteers gather at the Dream Center in Horn Lake to prepare backpacks for students across our community. Each backpack contains eight meals. Th next day they head to their schools and deliver these backpacks to ensure they are given to the children for the weekend.
It may look like a backpack filled with food, but to a child and their family, it can mean something much bigger.
It means they don’t have to wonder where their next meal will come from. It means a parent has a little more room in an already-stretched grocery budget. It means a child can head into the weekend knowing that someone cared enough to make sure they were fed.
“I always knew serving in this program was helping families each week, but it’s also given me a way to use what I’ve been given to give back. The needs change from week to week, especially with snacks, so I like to pick things up at the grocery store and stock up. It’s a simple way for me to know I’m helping,” a Dream Backpack volunteer said.
This Program Grows Because Our Community Gives
DREAM Backpack is powered by people who believe every child deserves to have enough food.
Our community plays a vital role in making this program possible. Churches, businesses, schools and community groups host food drives. Donors provide the resources needed to purchase food. And our DREAM Builders provide dependable monthly support that allows us to plan ahead and continue serving students week after week.
Just $50 a month can provide food for one student for an entire month.
Food donations are incredibly important, but they can fluctuate throughout the year. When food drive donations are down, the Dream Center purchases the food needed to make sure the backpacks are still filled and students are still served.
Because hunger doesn’t take a month off. And neither does the need.
As the number of students we serve continues to grow, so does the need for our community to grow alongside us.
Help Us Keep the Backpacks Full
267 students are counting on their DREAM Backpack each week. We need our community’s help to keep meeting that need.
We’re looking for more DREAM Builders who will commit to giving $50 a month to help sustain this growth and make sure students continue receiving the food they need each weekend.
A monthly gift gives us the ability to plan ahead, purchase food when donations are low and be ready to serve as more students join the program.
Will you help us keep backpacks and bellies full?
Become a DREAM Builder today, or partner with us by hosting a food drive, donating nonperishable food or making a financial gift to help provide food throughout the year.
Together, let’s make sure every child can head into the weekend with a full backpack, a full belly and the reminder that their community cares.
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