Blessing in a Backpack
For many children, school provides more than an education. It also provides reliable access to nutritious meals throughout the week. But when Friday afternoon arrives, those meals aren't always available. For families facing food insecurity, the 65-hour gap between Friday's school lunch and Monday's school breakfast can be especially challenging.
Blessings in a Backpack is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to closing that gap by providing children with food to take home over the weekend. Through nutritious, easy-to-prepare food packs, the program helps ensure students have access to meals even when school is not in session.
Bringing Blessings Back to Lucas
In 2026, the Shelby Cooper Memorial Fund took on one of our most ambitious community initiatives yet: fully sponsoring the Blessings in a Backpack program at Lucas Local Schools.
Through this partnership, we're helping provide weekend food packs to over 50 local students who participate in the program. It's a simple but meaningful way to support children and families in our own community, providing one less thing to worry about when the school week ends.
We believe every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive without worrying about where their next meal will come from. By supporting Blessings in a Backpack, we're investing in the well-being of our youngest neighbors and helping build a stronger community, one weekend at a time.
Help us bridge the gap
Our ability to support programs like Blessings in a Backpack depends on the generosity of people who care about our community. Every contribution to the Shelby Cooper Memorial Fund helps us continue investing in local students, families, and causes that make a meaningful difference close to home.
Together, we can help make sure no child in our community faces the weekend hungry.
