Across the Gulf Coast, more than 107,600 children face the challenges of hunger—especially during weekends, holidays, and summer breaks when school meals aren’t available. Our Child Nutrition Programs ensure children have the nutrition they need to reach their full potential, all year long.
The Backpack Program
The Backpack Program, which began in 2004, meets the needs of chronically hungry children by providing them with nutritious and easy-to-prepare food to take home on weekends and breaks when school meals are unavailable. The Backpack Program is located at schools with a high incidence of children in need. Each backpack provides children with six meals and two snacks.
How it Works
Teachers and school counselors identify students who would benefit from the Backpack Program. Then the food bank is given the number of children in need at the school. The children’s identities remain anonymous to the food bank, donors, and their peers.
With the help of volunteers, the food bank prepares the bags of food, which are placed discreetly in children’s backpacks on Friday afternoons for them to take home over the weekend.
The School Pantry Program
Similar to the Backpack Program, the School Pantry Program provides students with nutritious, nonperishable, and easily consumed food and other necessities. The program allows children dignity, privacy, and comfort in selecting food and other items that the student and their family need. Teachers, counselors, and school nurses identify students based on their level of need and as they demonstrate signs of hunger in the classroom. Students can visit the school pantry weekly to select nutritious, easy-to-prepare food and toiletries for personal use.
Support a Child
- $180 (Backpack Program) or $215 (School Pantry Program) will sponsor a child for an entire school year.
- Volunteer to help pack bags for the Backpack Program.
Become a Program Site
If your school would like to become a part of either program, please contact Rebekah Dawson at (251) 653-1617, ext. 128.
The Afterschool Meals Program
The Afterschool Meals Program provides free meals and snacks to children through a variety of community locations—such as Boys and Girls Clubs, churches or public schools. This program is funded through the federal Child and Adult Care Feeding Program (CACFP). The children who attend these programs receive free meals that meet federal guidelines for nutrition.
Become a Program Site
If your organization would like to become a part of this program, please fill out a site application for your state:
The Summer Meals Program
Similar to the Afterschool Meals Program, Feeding the Gulf Coast operates the Summer Meals Program to ensure children in our region have access to free, nutritious meals during the summer when school is out for the summer along the central Gulf Coast. Sites in this program serve two meals daily (breakfast, lunch, or snacks) to children in their community. This program is funded through the federal Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
Become a Program Site
If your organization would like to become a part of this program, please fill out a site application for your state:
- Alabama (PDF Application)
- Florida (PDF Application)
- Mississippi (PDF Application)
For more information on our Child Nutrition Programs or to become a Program sponsor, contact our Director of Child Nutrition Programs, Rebekah Dawson at 251-653-1617, ext. 128.