The Backpack Buddies Program is an emergency food assistance program that provides nutritious food for children in danger of food insecurity. The food is distributed every Friday.

The Shepherd’s Door provides nutritious snacks and easily prepared meal items for students who may have had little or nothing to eat at home. The program gives schools a way to respond immediately to the child’s need for food.

There are no out of pocket costs to the school or children who receive the food as everything is funded through donations. We are still working to obtain a cost per child for the school year.

How does the program work?

• The Shepherd’s Door partners with the school system’s Coordinated School Health, Guidance Counselors, Social Workers, etc. to operate in the school.
• The school identifies children in need of food assistance through observation, and the child’s self-report.
• Once the student to be served is identified, the program is offered to all children of that family if resources are available.
• The Shepherd’s Door provides nutritious foods that are easy to open and prepare.
• The participating school will pack and distribute the bags to the students every Friday.

The Shepherd’s Door sets a nutritious menu and collects the food through food drives, donations, and/or direct purchases from food warehouse clubs such as Sam’s Club, Costco, etc. For a list of food items, please click here.

The Shepherd’s Door utilizes a network of partners to help provide the food through donations and organized food drives. Your organization may agree to host a food drive, sponsor a child, a week, or even a month of food for the program.