Just after the final school bell rings on Friday, 10-year-old Sophia tucks a familiar bag into her backpack. Inside are weekend staples like mac and cheese, oatmeal, rice, and beans. Her younger siblings will light up when she gets home. They know these meals by heart.
For Sophia, this small bag means more than a full plate. It means her family can breathe a little easier.
“With three kids and just one income, sometimes it’s tough,” her mother Jacqueline shares. “These food packs help us stretch what we have and make sure the kids don’t go without.”
In San Diego, more than 42,000 children go to bed unsure of where their next meal will come from. School lunches cover the weekdays, but weekends can leave painful gaps.
That is where the Feeding San Diego’s Kids program steps in. Every week, volunteers fill food packs with enough nourishing food to feed a family of four for two days. School liaisons then place them directly into the hands of children like Sophia, so they can head into the weekend with the security of knowing food is waiting at home.
Launched in 2012, Feeding San Diego’s Kids was created to bridge the weekend hunger gap for children from low-income families. Each year, the program reaches hundreds of students in central San Diego through partnerships with local schools.
Every food pack is designed with kid-friendly, shelf-stable items that can be easily prepared at home, even by children. It is a simple yet powerful way to keep kids nourished when school cafeterias are closed. Volunteers pack and deliver the food to schools every Friday, ensuring a steady, reliable source of nutrition for the families who need it most.
Jacqueline makes the most of each delivery, turning rice, beans, and sopa de fideo into hearty dinners that can last more than a weekend.
“Sometimes the bags last a week and a half,” she says. “And every time, they help us get through a tight spot.”
Last school year, donor support made it possible to deliver more than 8,300 food packs to over 250 children in low-income communities. That is weekend after weekend where hunger did not win.
The impact reaches far beyond the kitchen table. With full stomachs, children can focus in class, play without worry, and dream without the shadow of hunger. Parents can stretch their grocery budgets a little further, easing the pressure that comes with every trip to the store.
As the 2025 school year begins, International Relief Teams is expanding the program to reach even more children. More bags delivered. More families were supported. More futures nourished.
Jacqueline knows just how much that matters: “There are a lot of families who need help right now, and these resources make a difference, especially for the little ones.”
For Sophia and hundreds of children like her, a weekend food pack is a bridge to a brighter Monday. It is a reminder that their community cares. And it is proof that when we come together, we can keep hope alive, one bag at a time.
Join us in ensuring every child in San Diego has the nourishment they need to grow, learn, and thrive.