DONATE FOOD | HOST A FOOD DRIVE | GIVE $50 A MONTH | VOLUNTEER
For too many students, the meals they receive at school are the only meals they can count on. When Friday comes, the weekend can bring uncertainty instead of rest.
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.
Together, we’re making sure every child can head into the weekend with a full backpack, a full belly, and the reminder that their community cares.
How It Works
Every week, volunteers lovingly pack backpacks with nutritious food, kid-friendly meals, and small reminders that someone cares. Through teacher referrals, schools help us identify students who may be facing food insecurity and connect them with the support they need. Backpacks are discreetly delivered to schools and given directly to students, ensuring they head into the weekend with food in hand, hope in their hearts, and their dignity intact.
What’s Inside a DREAM Backpack?
Each bag is packed with a balanced variety of:
Protein items
Fruits and vegetables
Breakfast options
Snacks
Occasional gifts or encouraging notes
Backpacks are tailored by grade level to ensure age-appropriate portions and food types.
Want to help fill a DREAM Backpack from home? Shop our Amazon Wish List, choose the food items you’d like to donate, and have them delivered directly to the Dream Center. It’s an easy way to make a big impact!
(Click image to download as a PDF)
Beyond the Bag – Building Connection
How you can help:
Sponsor a child (Giving $50/month covers one student’s food for a month)
Donate food items like individual servings of soup, canned protein, and fruit cups.
Volunteer to pack and pray over bags or write encouraging notes- These points of personal connection remind every child that they are seen, valued, and supported. Through our Champion Model, we meet both physical and emotional needs:
Staff Champions – Identify students in need
School Champions – Ensure backpacks arrive each week
Student Champions – Pray for and encourage students with notes and treats
Become a DREAM Backpack Champion!
Our impact in the 2024-2025 school year!
99 Local Students Served
8 Meals Each Weekend
40 Weeks of the Year
= 31,680 Meals
JOIN THE DREAM | HOST A FOOD DRIVE
Food drives are one of the many ways our community helps keep the Dream Center’s programs moving forward. Every box, can, and bag of food donated helps us stock backpacks for students, fill our Emergency Needs Closets, and provide families with the food they need when times are tough.
Businesses, churches, schools, civic groups, neighborhoods, and families, you can make a difference right where you are. Gather your people, collect what you can, and help us continue meeting real needs in our community.
Planning a food drive? We’d love to know! Reach out to the Dream Center and let us know you’re hosting one. We’ll help you get connected and celebrate the impact you’re making!