Backpack Kids is a not-for-profit organization located in Jackson County, Georgia with one goal—to be sure kids with food insecurities do not go hungry over the weekend when they are away from school.

Many children in our area and all over the United States suffer from malnutrition. There are many reasons children don’t have food, from financial issues to neglect. Our schools here in Jackson County do all they can to provide for children during the school day. They also worry about those kids who go home on Friday and don’t return until Monday morning. Will they be taken care of? Will they have food, shelter and clothing?

BackPack Kids has ben around for 16 years! During that time, we have served over 50,000 bags to kids in need.

There are roughly 8,500 students in Jackson County. Of those, 25% are considered under the poverty level.

The BackPack Kids program serves a little over 10% of those children. This includes children that are homeless, neglected, living without electricity or running water, and/or without a stable or present parent.

BackPack Kids partners with the counselors at each school and they recommend a child/children for our program. They also aid in the discrete distribution of the bags to the students.

We deliver food 40 weeks per year. Each bag costs approximately $5.00 to pack and provides a student with a weekend’s worth of food.