BackPack Buddies

Helping Fill the Weekend Meal Gap

For children experiencing food insecurity, weekends and school breaks can create gaps in access to regular meals.

BackPack Buddies helps provide food for local elementary school students to take home during the school year, helping bridge the gap between Friday and Monday.

Junior League of Raleigh members take an active role in making that happen.

JLR in Action

JLR members help collect and coordinate donated food, pack bags and deliver food to participating schools. Through community donations and volunteer support, the program helps provide children with food to take home when school meals are unavailable.

Members Help By:

  • Collecting and coordinating food donations
  • Packing weekend food bags
  • Delivering bags to participating schools
  • Supporting food drives and collection efforts
  • Connecting community donors and businesses with the program

Small Actions. Meaningful Impact.

A packed bag may seem simple, but for a child experiencing food insecurity, it can help provide access to food during the days when school meals aren’t available.

BackPack Buddies demonstrates what can happen when JLR members, individuals, businesses and community groups come together around a shared need.

How You Can Help

Help Us Fill More Backpacks

BackPack Buddies’ impact is made possible by the generosity of individuals, families, businesses and community groups. Whether you donate, organize a food drive, or rally a group of friends, there are many ways to get involved.

Sponsor a Child

Help provide weekend meals for a local student by sponsoring a child for a month, a semester, a full school year, or another amount.

$350 can sponsor one child for an entire school year.

Host a Food Drive

Turn your workplace, neighborhood, place of worship, school, club, or community group into part of the effort. Collect the foods most needed by BackPack Buddies and help keep the program’s shelves stocked.

VIEW ITEMS NEEDED →

Give as a Group

Your book club, supper club, coworkers, neighbors, or friends can pool their contributions to sponsor a child together.

It’s an easy way to turn a gathering or shared activity into meaningful community impact.

Sponsor Fresh Fruit

Help add fresh food to the bags students receive.

$80 can sponsor fresh fruit for one week.

Make Giving Part of the Moment

There are plenty of creative ways to support BackPack Buddies throughout the year.

  • Ask for BackPack Buddies donations in lieu of birthday or special-occasion gifts.
  • Add a food drive or donation collection to a work or personal event.
  • Donate a gift card from a local grocery store.
  • Recommend a business interested in donating a percentage of sales.
  • Make a donation in honor of someone special. BackPack Buddies can send an honor card letting them know a gift was made in their name.

Businesses & Community Groups

Turn Your Network Into Impact

Local businesses, civic organizations, faith communities, schools, and other groups can help expand the reach of BackPack Buddies.

Consider hosting a food drive, sponsoring children, organizing an employee giving effort, donating grocery gift cards, or creating a percentage-of-sales fundraiser.

Have another idea? We’d love to hear it.

Every Bag Starts With Someone Who Chose to Help

BackPack Buddies is powered by people willing to give their time, resources, and support to help children in our community.

A food drive. A grocery gift card. A group of friends sponsoring a child. A donation made in someone’s honor.

Every contribution becomes part of something bigger.

For questions about BackPack Buddies, food donations, sponsorships, or other ways to support the program, contact: backpack@jlraleigh.org

← BACK TO HEALTHY KIDS, HEALTHY COMMUNITY