The Backpack Program provides students who lack access, at times, to enough food to have a healthy and active lifestyle. Food is an ESSENTIAL building block and is truly a blessing, especially to a hungry child!

We provide weekend nourishment to OVER 400 children each week, who are identified as being in need by teachers, school counselors, and/or other school administrators. Currently, there is approximately an 11.1% rate of Shelby County’s population under the age of 18 facing food insecurities. Our goal is to make sure these students across all 12 of our Shelby County Public Schools have food for weekends and school breaks. Food backpacks include easy-to-prepare, kid-friendly meals that a child can warm up or open without any help.

The Backpack Program has been operating for 16 years in Shelby County. As of January 2023 Father’s Love has acquired the program from Awake. We are glad this program has been operating for many years and we want to ensure it continues to support the most vulnerable students across all of our Shelby County Public Schools. The program operates through food and monetary donations from organizations and individuals and would not be a SUCCESS without the support of our community.

*Statistics based on Feeding Americas, Map the Gap study reflecting 2020 estimates.