Meet the Team Behind the Mission

Backpack Buddies is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing economically disadvantaged children in the Coweta County School System with food for the weekends. Many children in our community rely on the Free and Reduced Lunch Program offered by their schools during the week, but have very little to eat over weekends and holidays.

Working closely with school counselors, we identify children at risk of hunger and supply them with nutritious, self-serve food to sustain them when school meals are not available.

During the school year, we serve about 1,700 children across 36 schools—and this is only scratching the surface of the true need in Coweta County. Our vision is to serve these children year-round, not only during the school year but also over the summer months when they lose access to school meals.

Research shows that hunger severely impacts children’s mental and physical health, contributes to behavioral challenges, and undermines their ability to learn. Hunger is an increasing epidemic in our county, and many residents are unaware of its extent.

Backpack Buddies exists to help relieve hunger, which in turn improves grades, health, school attendance, and self-esteem for the children we serve.