National Impact

Did you know that 9 MILLION CHILDREN are experiencing food insecurity? That’s one in eight American children who may be struggling with access to food.

The consequences of hunger are much more than a growling stomach. Poor nutrition can result in a weaker immune system, increased hospitalization, lower IQ, shorter attention spans, and lower academic achievement. Children are fed during the school week by federal government programs. We want to make sure they’re getting nutritional meals over the weekend, too.

Did you know that 9 MILLION CHILDREN* are experiencing food insecurity? That’s one in eight American children who may be struggling with access to food.

Blessings in a Backpack is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. During the 2021–2022 school year, we distributed nearly 3.2 million bags of ready-to-eat food to children at 1,118 schools in 46 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

Since 2009, Blessings in a Backpack has provided 26.7 million hunger-free weekends (or ready-to-eat food) for more than 927,000 children nationwide.

*USDA

We are a national organization made up of eight regional chapters and more than 1,100 volunteer-driven programs. We share the goal of preventing childhood hunger on the weekends for the kids who need us most.

On average, $150 will feed one child on the weekends for one 38-week school year through the Blessings in a Backpack program—the results: nourished kids ready to learn. Food is an essential building block, and in this case, it is truly a blessing, especially to a food-insecure child!

Visit the Get Involved section of our website to find out the various ways in which you can help Blessings in a Backpack feed more children.

What does it mean to be food-insecure?
A food-insecure household has limited or uncertain access to enough food to support a healthy life.

Childhood Hunger in the United States
Children are more likely to face food insecurity than any other group in the United States. Children were food insecure at times during 2021 in 6.2% of U.S. households with children — that’s 2.3 million households.

According to the USDA, more than 34 million people, including 9 million children, in the United States are food insecure.
100% of surveyed pediatricians agree or strongly agree that food insecurity contributes to poor health outcomes among children. —Food Research & Action Center
More than 66% of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or food stamps) participants are in families with children. —Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Three out of five teachers say they have children in their classrooms who regularly come to school hungry. More than half of teachers (53%) say they purchase food for hungry kids in their classrooms. —No Kid Hungry

National Impact

Why we do it:

Our Structure:

How much does it cost?

The facts about hunger: