An estimated 25 – 30% of all school-age children in Laurel County are going hungry from the time they leave school on Friday until they return to school the following Monday. For many children, a school lunch is their primary source of nutrition. The Backpack Program aims to meet the needs of these hungry children throughout the county.

When The Backpack Program (formerly The Backpack Club) first began in 2004, it was initially providing 65 children with weekly food bags. Currently, there are over 1,000 children being served in every elementary, middle and high school in Laurel county.

The Backpack Program relies on donors and volunteers to fulfill our program’s mission. We have partnered with God’s Pantry Food Bank, which serves both as a donor for many of the food items we provide, as well as a location where our volunteers work to assemble bags each week. Needy children are identified  by the Family Resource Centers at each Laurel County school and ensures that weekly bag of non-perishable food is discreetly placed in these children’s backpacks every Friday before they leave for the day.