BackPack Weekend Food Program, Inc.

06/01/2026

Beginning Monday, June 1, free meals will be available for children at 54 community sites across Gaston County. The summer nutrition program provides breakfast and lunch at no cost to help families during the summer break.

Parents and families can visit the Gaston County Schools website for a complete list of meal locations, dates, and serving times.

🔗 Link in comment section.

06/01/2026

05/12/2026

We are counting down the days to one of our favorite nights of the year! Please mark your calendars for Dining at the Chef’s Table on Friday, August 28, 2026. This special evening features a delicious sit down dinner, silent and live auctions, and a fun night with our incredible community, all in support of the BackPack Weekend Food Program.

We sell out every year, so be sure to watch for tickets to go on sale in early July 2026. Until then, enjoy a look back at some special moments from last year’s event. We can’t wait to see you there!

05/07/2026

As we look back on the 2025–2026 school year, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the incredible community that makes the BackPack Weekend Food Program possible. Together, we served nearly 900 students in 44 schools across the Gaston County School system with the help of 52 community partners, more than 500 volunteers, and over 8,000 volunteer service hours.

From unloading food trucks and pulling food orders in the warehouse, to packing dental kits and supporting our annual fundraiser, every helping hand made a difference. Thank you to our volunteers, partners, school coordinators, donors, and supporters for showing up for the children of Gaston County all year long. We are deeply grateful for you!

04/30/2026

Please help us wish Suzanne, our Program Coordinator, the happiest birthday!! From coordinating with our community partners and schools to planning menus and managing food orders, Suzanne is our girl. She keeps us organized, prepared, and ready for every delivery and volunteer day, and we would be lost without her.

Suzanne, we are so grateful for you and all you do at the BackPack Weekend Food Program. We hope you have the best birthday! 🎉🎂🥳

04/14/2026

Huge thank you to the incredibly talented for creating our adorable save the dates! 💕👩‍🍳💕
Mark your calendars!

04/14/2026

It is hard to believe, but today was our last food delivery day of the school year! Because our food is delivered a month in advance, everything is now unpacked, organized, and ready for our volunteers next Tuesday at our final pull day.

Even though deliveries are wrapping up, the BWFP team will be hard at work all summer preparing for our annual fundraiser on August 28th, 2026 and getting everything in place for the next school year. There is so much happening behind the scenes to make sure we are ready to serve students from day one.

Thank you for being part of what makes this work possible. We could not do it without you!

04/02/2026

Fun Fact about the BackPack Weekend Food Program

Once a month, we include Health Tip Cards for students and their families. Each one has:
🥕 A fun kid friendly health tip
👨‍👩‍👧 A simple tip for parents and caregivers
🌽 Information about what foods are in season right now

Our cards are printed in both English and Spanish so more families can benefit and even have rounded corners (something we learned the hard way!) to keep food bags from tearing. These little cards are a big part of our mission.

We are sharing easy practical ways families can build healthy habits together at home.

03/17/2026

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from the BackPack Weekend Food Program!

Today marked our 7th pull day of the school year, and what a great day it was to come together in service. We had an amazing group of volunteers show up, including special teams from Partners Health Management, US Foods, and Finding the “More” Ministries, along with so many of our dedicated monthly regulars.

Thanks to everyone’s hard work, teamwork, and positive energy, we were able to make a big impact for the students we serve, all while having a little St. Patrick’s Day fun along the way!

A special thank you to US Foods for providing lunch for our volunteers. We work very closely with our team at US foods and loved having them in the warehouse today.

Feeling extra lucky to be part of such a caring community. ☘️💚☘️

03/04/2026

The BackPack Weekend Food Program just got a great boost: a $15,000 grant from SC Johnson, a Family Company - the company that makes Windex, Ziploc, and Glade! Thanks SC Johnson!! Your company is making a difference in our community!