BackPack Weekend Food Program, Inc.

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.

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!

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! 🎉🎂🥳

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

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!

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.