Seattle’s Backpack Brigade Packs Up Hunger for Kids

The Seattle Public School (SPS) District comprises 98 schools and 52,000 students. Of those students, 20,000 qualify for free and reduced lunch (FRL), and 3,000 are identified as homeless.

For many students, school lunch on Fridays will be their last meal for the weekend. With the help of companies like Matson, the Backpack Brigade (BB) of Seattle is helping to reduce the number of hungry children who may not receive a meal again until they return to school on Monday morning.

“The Backpack Brigade serves school-aged children who are homeless,” said Nichelle Hilton, Backpack Brigade’s founder. “These include children whose families are temporarily housed or living in shelters, tent cities, or cars. We purchase and deliver food that helps sustain a homeless student through the weekend. Our mission is to provide nutritious meals and snacks to every homeless student attending Seattle Public Schools and erase weekend hunger.”

BB started in 2014 with just one school and eight weekly weekend food bags. Today, with the infrastructure, the volunteers, and a process in place, the BB is one of the community leaders in this type of service and the only nonprofit whose sole focus is to provide weekend nourishment.

“We partner with local communities to provide weekend hunger bags, working to ensure that every child is fed all weekend long,” said Hilton. “Each bag contains three breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, as well as three snacks and fruit.

“Our goal is to close the weekend hunger gap, not just for these students, but for all the qualifying students in the district, which this year could top 3,000.”

However, this year will be more difficult than in years past. Inflation has increased food costs. Supply chain issues and gas prices have also created challenges. For the first time since its inception, the BB may find itself in a position where it has to say no.

“This is why we are so grateful to companies like Matson, who believe in giving back to their communities,” said Hilton. “We can’t thank you enough for supporting our mission to end weekend hunger. Every penny of Matson’s $2,500 donation will go directly to purchasing food for kids in need. It will create bags for 360 hungry students! We can’t do our work without wonderful people like you.”