We’re excited to introduce you to Backpack Buddies of Metro Atlanta, our nonprofit partner fighting food insecurity in our community! They began the 2022-2023 school year feeding roughly 800 children each weekend across 27 schools. With 2 years under their belt, we were excited to catch up with their team to discuss their mission, growth, and impact!
Read more about Backpack Buddies in our interview below!
Tell us about your organization – what’s your mission, and what does it mean to the community?
The mission of Backpack Buddies of Metro Atlanta is to provide weekend meals to food-insecure children throughout metro Atlanta, to enhance their mental and physical health as well as their ability to learn. Approximately 200,000 children in the metro go hungry on the weekends, and through the support of countless donors, volunteers, corporate sponsors, partner organizations, and food sources, our service aims to eliminate that.
Can you share some impact stats or comments about the work being done by your organization?
We are a relatively new organization, but we are small and mighty. When starting in the 2022-2023 school year, we were feeding 800 children per week at 27 schools. Now, as we are closing in on the end of the 2023-2024 school year, we have tripled our service to feed nearly 2,500 children per week at over 50 schools. We are just scratching the surface, but our efficient model will make it possible to continue to grow to meet the need. To be efficient, we partner with local religious and civic organizations, who receive food from us to then pack into weekend meal bags and deliver to the schools they adopt every week.
What’s the history of your organization? How and why did it get started?
Here in Atlanta, Backpack Buddies started humbly back in 2017 at one synagogue in Dunwoody, Temple Beth Shalom, serving 10 children per week at Kingsley Elementary School. Our Founder, Ronald Robbins and his wife Samra, then shared the concept with other synagogues and churches in Atlanta. Over the next few years, 19 organizations in total were doing this important work, but were all hitting the same ceiling - they were running out of money sourcing food at retail and running out of space to store the food in their facilities. In early 2022, Backpack Buddies of Metro Atlanta was formed as an umbrella organization for all partners to roll up underneath. This has unlocked tremendous efficiency and growth as we are able to source food inexpensively at scale for everyone, can store it in our warehouse until the organizations need it, and leverage our brand to raise funds to fuel the mission.
“Our growth has to be the biggest highlight. To triple in size in just the first two years of existence is a proof point of our vision and model, as well as a testament to the power of our partners and volunteers.
Expect our service to reach 2,500 children per week by the end of this school year.”
What kind of programming do you offer to the community?
Several groups are impacted and served by our mission.
1. Children in need: Many children who receive free or reduced breakfast and lunch at school during the week do not have enough food at home on the weekend. That's where we come in. Through an efficient hand-off model in partnership with local religious and civic organizations, we are able to provide a weekend's worth of food every Friday to children in need, distributed at their school each week.
2. Local religious and civic organizations: By pairing these organizations with schools who have children in need, provide a turnkey service project that these organizations can use to engage their constituents and positively impact the community around them.
3. Corporations seeking CSR programs: Numerous turnkey team-building and sponsorship opportunities exist for corporations to positively impact the community around them.
4. The community at large: Numerous volunteer opportunities abound for individuals to support our mission and keep our system moving efficiently for maximum impact.
What problem is your organization trying to solve, and can you tell us more about the issue?
Studies show that roughly 1 in 6 children in metro Atlanta is food-insecure. That equates to roughly 200,000 children who do not have enough food to meet the needs of healthy development. Children who are hungry face many challenges, including being more vulnerable to illness, vulnerability, fatigue, stunted growth, and behavioral issues. This leads to a downward spiral that limits the potential of the child. By providing meals on the weekends, we get these kids fed so that they return to school on Monday nourished and ready to learn. Efficacy surveys have shown that student attendance and performance have been improved by participating in our program.
How do volunteers support your mission? What impact do they have on your work? What difference do they make?
Volunteers are involved in many ways. They come to our warehouse on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in two shifts - 9A-11A and 11A-1P. During these shifts, they pull food orders for our participating organizations and help load them into their vehicles. We also have volunteers involved with expressing gratitude to donors, driving our truck to make food sourcing pickups, supporting event activations, and serving on various committees such as Communications, Food Procurement, Recruitment, and Development. Without volunteers, we would not be able to impact as many children as we do. Of course, there are volunteer opportunities at the organizations that partner with us to get the food to the children.
What’s your biggest highlight or success from the past year?
Our growth has to be the biggest highlight. To triple in size in just the first two years of existence is a proof point of our vision and model, as well as a testament to the power of our partners and volunteers. This is further highlighted by the expansion to a larger facility in the summer of 2023 and the acquisition of our own truck in January 2024. It is wonderful for the community to see that if we are supported, good things will happen.
How many volunteers do you need every month, and can you describe the experience of serving with your organization for the volunteer? What do they do? What’s a day in the life as a volunteer with your organization?
During a given month, we'll have over 100 volunteers total working our regular warehouse shifts, not to mention several others who are serving on committees, thanking donors, and driving our truck to acquire food. During our regular shifts, volunteers pull orders of food in the warehouse and load them into the vehicles of our partners picking up. This is the core work and our volunteers work collaboratively in a safe, bright, fun environment - even though it is a warehouse! Music is always playing, and we are often sharing a good laugh. Everyone is happy to help, get a good little workout, and always happy to greet those picking up from us.
What types of projects do you offer? What are your biggest projects available, and needs from volunteers? Tell us about a few different offerings.
Volunteering for our regular shifts is the main need. At times, we also welcome larger groups to come for a collaborative service project together. We will recruit volunteers to join us for the Dunwoody 4th of July Parade, walking the route alongside our truck and engaging with attendees about our mission.
Who is your volunteer manager, and what’s their favorite thing about working for your organization?
Director of Operations Jonathan Halitsky leads the warehouse and event activities. An event marketing veteran, Jonathan loves applying his marketing and logistic experience to create a positive volunteer experience for all who work with us. The tangible impact of our mission, the incredible opportunity to build this offering, and an opportunity to connect with other service-oriented individuals really excite him about the work we are doing here.
“Most often, volunteers appreciate the fun environment, the active experience they have, the ease of getting involved, and the logical workflow in the space. ”
What’s going to be happening with your organization in 2024 that you’re really excited about?
We are poised and excited for continued growth. First, we expect our service to reach 2,500 children per week by the end of this school year. Second, we have embarked on a new phase of internal development that will help us lay a foundation for sustainable future expansion. This includes fortifying our staff and focusing on some specific strategic initiatives related to food procurement, fundraising, and growing our network of partner organizations and schools.
Let’s leave our readers with a list of ways they can jump in and get involved. Tell us how we can support you!
Sign up to volunteer through Hands on Atlanta.
Go to our website at www.backpackbuddiesatl.org to learn more.
Please reach out if you are interested in serving on a committee such as Communications, Food Procurement, Development, or Recruitment.
If your company would like to do a food drive on our behalf, please let us know. We have a turnkey program for that.
If your church, synagogue, or civic organization would like to consider partnering with us to adopt a school and provide food each week, please let us know. We have a very easy system for onboarding.
If your company would like to sponsor our mission, we'd love to talk!
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