“I Don’t Feel Hungry Anymore”: What Reliable Weekend Food Means in 2026

“I don’t feel hungry anymore.”

That’s what one student shared after receiving food from Backpack Brigade.

Weekends used to be stressful. Food would run low, and Monday mornings were hard.

Now, with a Backpack Brigade weekend hunger bag delivered every Thursday, this student has meals they can count on through the weekend.

This student’s story is not unique.

The school week ends but hunger doesn’t.

During the school week, thousands of children rely on breakfast and lunch at school. But when Friday afternoon arrives, those meals are no longer available.

For families already stretching every dollar, an unexpected expense, reduced work hours, rising rent, or a change in housing can make it difficult to keep enough food on the table.

In King County, 57,020 children—about 13% of all enrolled schoolchildren—are experiencing food insecurity. Food insecurity doesn’t always look the way people expect it. A child may have food at home, but not enough to last the entire weekend. A family may have to choose between groceries, rent, transportation, utilities, or medication. Some children may not know where their next meal is coming from or worry that eating means there will be less for someone else in their family.

That uncertainty can follow a child into the classroom, making it harder to focus, learn, and feel prepared for the week ahead.

Hunger and housing instability are connected

Housing instability can make consistent access to food even more difficult. For thousands of these students, they are managing the most basic needs, a place to rest for the night, transportation, personal safety. Our services take on one crucial need, accessible food. For many families, the logistics of making a meal is one of the biggest struggles. Families may be staying temporarily with relatives, moving between homes, living in shelters, or trying to manage food without reliable access to a kitchen. We provide foods that are simple to prepare, easy to eat, and familiar to ensure these students have one less problem to solve in their day. 

During the 2024–25 school year, Washington schools identified more than 48,000 students experiencing homelessness through the McKinney-Vento program, a federal law that protects the educational rights of children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate place to sleep at night.

Behind that number are children who are showing up to school, trying to learn, grow, and imagine their futures while navigating circumstances far beyond their control. 

Meeting children where they are

Backpack Brigade works through local schools to provide children with reliable food for the weekend.

Each bag includes 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners, and 3 snacks that students can take home. By distributing food through schools, Backpack Brigade can reach children in a place they already know and help provide consistent support without requiring families to travel to another location.

A weekend hunger bag cannot solve every challenge a family may be facing, but it can answer one immediate and essential question for a child:

Will I have enough to eat this weekend?

When that answer is yes, children can spend less time worrying about food and more time being kids.

Help provide reliable weekend food

As we head into the new school year, thousands of children across King County still need reliable weekend food every week.

Your support helps Backpack Brigade reach more students with meals they can count on—so they can return to school feeling full, focused, and ready to learn.

Will you help us reach them?

DONATE TODAY