In 2017, a handful of volunteers began packing nonperishable food into backpacks for children at a single Metro Atlanta elementary school with the first distribution reaching just 10 students. Nine years later, that grassroots effort, founded by Ronald and Samra Robbins, has grown into a regional program feeding thousands of children across dozens of schools every weekend.
How it started: 10 backpacks at one school
The idea was simple: if kids couldn’t count on school for meals over the weekend, the community could step in to fill the gap. Volunteers packed food each week and quietly delivered it to the school so students could carry it home in their backpacks without drawing attention. That first small batch of 10 backpacks laid the foundation for what would eventually expand far beyond one school.
From one school to dozens
Backpack Buddies became a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2022. That school year, it was already feeding around 800 children across 27 schools. By the 2025–2026 school year, those numbers had grown to 2,625 children across 53 schools, backed by hundreds of volunteers and 34 partner “Community Buddy” organizations. In April 2025, the group hit another milestone delivering its one millionth meal, a number reflecting years of sourcing, packing, transporting, and coordinating with schools behind the scenes.
Founders Ronald and Samra Robbins were later honored with the Max & Mary London People Power Award, presented by Eric Robbins, President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.
What’s in a weekend meal and how the model works
Each package includes shelf-stable, kid-friendly food — proteins, vegetables, breakfast items, fruits, snacks, and drinks designed to give children steady access to meals when school food isn’t available. Much of the program’s reach comes through its Community Buddies: religious groups, civic organizations, and senior centers that adopt one or more schools and help pack and deliver food to students identified as needing weekend support.
The role of Volunteers
Volunteers remain the backbone of the operation, helping with inventory, order prep, deliveries, and community events at the organization’s Dunwoody warehouse. As the program has scaled, so has its need for volunteer support. More schools mean more food to move and more orders to fill. Backpack Buddies estimates that $250 can feed one child every weekend of the school year, and the organization continues to lean on donations, volunteers, and new Community Buddy partnerships to keep expanding across metro Atlanta, where demand for weekend food assistance keeps growing alongside the program itself.
