Kingsley Elementary School is working, through a partnership with Congregation Beth Shalom, to ensure students have food to last through the weekend.
The Backpack Buddies program, started by the synagogue, sends 65 students home each Friday with healthy snacks and nonperishable foods for students and their families to eat over the weekend.
Volunteers pick up food from the Atlanta Community Food Bank and other outlets, district officials said. Enrolled students retrieve their backpacks Friday.
The program is open to any student at the school, at 2051 Brendon Drive in Dunwoody.
Many schools are working through programs to offer free breakfast and lunch for all its students to eliminate any stigmas associated with receiving free meals at schools. Others have taken nontraditional paths to ensure students are eating, including offering dinner before students leave for the day, and serving meals during extended breaks.
