HOPE Weekend Packs
The HOPE Weekend Pack provides nutritious meals and snacks for students whose primary source of food is the school cafeteria. Each Friday, students receive a HOPE Weekend Pack filled with food items to help sustain them until they return to school on Monday, supporting their nutritional, mental, and overall well-being.
Our staff works closely with counselors and teachers at each campus to identify students experiencing food insecurity through a formal assessment process. Identities are kept confidential to ensure students participating in this vital program are not embarrassed or singled out by their peers. Currently, the packs are distributed in gallon ziplock bags with the HOPE Weekend Pack logo. HOPE purchases food in-house, allowing us to provide familiar name-brand items that children recognize and are excited to receive. Each Friday, at the end of the school day, students take home a pack containing food for breakfast and lunch on both Saturday and Sunday.
The HOPE Weekend Pack Program serves students in the Jacksonville Independent School District. The annual cost of the program is approximately $25,000. Unfortunately, due to limited funding, the number of students we are able to serve does not fully meet the need. School counselors often maintain a waiting list of eligible students, as new families move into the district or changing circumstances increase the demand for support.
You can make a diference—your donation helps ensure no child in our community goes hungry over the weekend. Every gift, big or small, brings hope and nourishment to a child in need. In addition to giving, there are also volunteer opportunities to help assemble the weekend packs, making this a meaningful way to give back and directly support children in our community.
