From 10 Backpacks to Thousands: How Backpack Buddies Is Fighting Weekend Hunger in Metro Atlanta
What began with just 10 backpacks has grown into a community-wide effort to help thousands of children facing food insecurity across Metro Atlanta..
Backpack Buddies of Metro Atlanta began in 2017 with a small group of volunteers who wanted to make sure children had access to food when school meals were unavailable over the weekend.
Today, the organization provides nutritious weekend meals to thousands of children across dozens of schools a transformation that reflects the power of volunteers, community organizations and supporters working toward a common goal.
It Started With 10 Backpacks
The story of Backpack Buddies began at one local elementary school.
A group of volunteers gathered each week to pack nonperishable food for children who faced food insecurity over the weekend. The first distribution served just 10 students.
The bags were discreetly delivered to the school so students could take food home in their backpacks without drawing attention to their circumstances.
The idea was simple.
If children could not rely on school meals over the weekend, the community could help make sure food was available at home.
Growing From a Small Volunteer Effort
The program quickly expanded beyond its original school.
Backpack Buddies became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2022, and during the 2022–2023 school year, the organization was feeding approximately 800 children across 27 schools.
By the beginning of the 2025–2026 school year, that number had grown to 2,625 children across 53 schools, supported by hundreds of volunteers and 34 Community Buddy organizations.
The scale has changed dramatically, but the core mission remains the same: make sure children have nutritious food when school is not in session.
1 Million Meals: A Major Milestone
In April 2025, Backpack Buddies reached another important milestone: delivering its 1 millionth meal.
The milestone represents years of work behind the scenes food sourcing, inventory management, packing, transportation, volunteer coordination and school partnerships.
For every meal that reaches a child, there is a network of people making it happen.
What Goes Into a Weekend Meal?
Backpack Buddies provides shelf-stable, kid-friendly food designed specifically for children to have access to meals and snacks over the weekend.
The organization's food packages include proteins and mains, vegetables, breakfast items, fruits, snacks and drinks.
The goal isn't simply to put food into a backpack.
It is to provide children with reliable access to food during the days when school meals are unavailable.
Community Makes the Model Work
Backpack Buddies relies heavily on its network of Community Buddies.
These organizations adopt one or more schools and help pack and deliver meals to children identified as needing weekend food assistance.
Community Buddies can include religious organizations, civic groups, senior centers and other community agencies.
This model allows Backpack Buddies to combine its food sourcing and distribution infrastructure with volunteers who live and work in the communities being served.
The Power of Volunteers
Volunteers are another essential part of the program.
At Backpack Buddies' Dunwoody warehouse, volunteers can help inventory food, prepare orders, load deliveries, support community events and assist with other operational needs.
As the organization grows, volunteer support becomes even more important.
A larger program means more food to move, more orders to prepare and more schools to serve.
The Need Hasn't Gone Away
The growth of Backpack Buddies reflects both the effectiveness of community action and the continuing need for weekend food support.
The organization describes its mission as providing weekend meals to food-insecure children across Metro Atlanta to support their mental and physical health and ability to learn.
And the need is not limited to a single neighborhood or school.
Backpack Buddies' growing network of schools and Community Buddies demonstrates how widespread the challenge can be and how much can be accomplished when people work together.
How You Can Be Part of the Story
The next chapter of Backpack Buddies depends on continued community involvement.
Donate: A donation can help provide food for children throughout the school year. Backpack Buddies estimates that $250 can feed one child every weekend of the school year.
Volunteer: Help pack, organize, load or deliver food through the organization's volunteer program.
Become a Community Buddy: Organizations can adopt a school and help provide weekend meals to students in their community.
The story of Backpack Buddies is ultimately a story about what happens when a simple idea gains community support.
Ten backpacks became hundreds.
Hundreds became thousands.
And one local effort became a regional program serving children across Metro Atlanta.
The work continues because the need continues and because volunteers, donors, businesses and community organizations continue to believe that every child deserves enough food for the weekend.
Because hunger doesn't take the weekend off.
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