Dignity first
Food is shared through schools in a way that protects each child's privacy. Support should feel steady and respectful, never embarrassing.
Our Story
It started with neighbors who noticed.
Back Pack Kidz began with a simple, hard truth: some children in our community were coming back to school on Monday hungry. What began as a neighborly response has grown into a steady, volunteer-powered answer to weekend hunger in Charlotte County.
The Yah Yah Girls and a backpack on Friday
Around 2010, Jolene Mowry and a group of friends known as the Yah Yah Girls learned that local children were returning to school hungry after the weekend. For kids who counted on school breakfasts and lunches, Saturday and Sunday could mean two long days with very little to eat.
The response was practical and personal. If a backpack of food on Friday could carry a child through the weekend, then that is what they would pack. Word spread, more neighbors stepped in, and a grassroots idea became a dependable weekly rhythm.
Today, Back Pack Kidz carries that same spirit forward — working quietly through schools and trusted staff so food reaches children with respect and privacy, never spotlight or shame.
Why weekends
School meal programs do remarkable work Monday through Friday. The gap opens when the final bell rings on Friday afternoon. Back Pack Kidz exists to bridge that gap so children return on Monday nourished and ready to learn.
What we believe
A few simple values shape every bag we pack and every relationship we build in Charlotte County.
Local and personal
We serve our own neighbors. Donations raised in Charlotte County help feed children in Charlotte County.
Volunteer powered
The program is run entirely by volunteers so that support stays focused on children and families.
From a small idea to a steady mission
The work has grown, but it still moves the same way it always has.
A need is noticed
Neighbors recognize that children are going hungry on weekends.
A response begins
The Yah Yah Girls start packing weekend food for local kids.
The community joins
Volunteers, schools, donors, and partners help the effort grow.
The mission continues
Weekend food support reaches children across Charlotte County.
Our impact today
The need is real and ongoing. Community support is what keeps weekend food moving, week after week.
children historically served each weekend of the school year
bags packed and distributed throughout the school year
trusted partners who help distribute food privately and respectfully
the community we are proud to call home
Be part of the next chapter.
Every volunteer, donor, and partner adds to a story that started with a few neighbors who refused to look away. There is room for you in it.