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Syracuse City School District Offers Students Weekend Meals Syracuse City School District Provides Students with Weekend Meals

More than 1,200 students benefit from the Blessing in a Backpack program.

By Natalie Fahmy

Five years ago, the Syracuse City School District brought “Blessings in a Backpack” to its students to help make sure they are well fed. And now with COVID-19, there is an increased need for the program. NCC News reporter Natalie Fahmy has the details.

NATALIE FAHMY: Right now it is Blessing in a Backpack Week. The Syracuse City School District is using this time to raise awareness to the program in order to help more kids.

Friday afternoon, some students know their school lunch will be their last meal until Monday. But now, Blessing in a Backpack helps alleviate that hunger. Syracuse City School District Director of Food and Nutrition, Rachel Murphy, says the program started serving a handful of students five years ago.

RACHEL MURPHY: It went like wildfire. We started with 50 children in Delaware Elementary and very quickly, actually it is extreme growth.

FAHMY: Now they serve over 1200 students food every week, for just $135 per student, per year. But the pandemic creates more demand.

MURPHY: We know that the need is there and will be even greater during COVID and after, and probably for a while to come.

FAHMY: Liverpool chapter program coordinator John Meyer says the impacts from hunger lasts a lifetime.

JOHN MEYER: You come into school Monday morning, you haven’t had anything to eat for 72 hours and your first thought is not, ‘well, the teachers say take out your pencil.’

FAHMY: Every Friday students in need go home with something extra in their backpack. Instead of just notebooks and folders, they also have enough food to get them through the weekend.

MURPHY: Blessings in a Backpack is specifically designed for the child. We provide food that gets into the child’s hands.

MEYER: They don’t know who we are but we do know that they have the food and they know that somebody cares.

FAHMY: Murphy says they make sure no students feels singled out at school.

MURPHY: It’s very hush hush. We don’t stop all the kids and say ‘you, come here, you need to get your pack for the weekend.’ None of that.

FAHMY: Both Murphy and Meyer say they hope to see the program grow for years to come.

MURPHY: Children are out future. If they’re not fed, where are we?

FAHMY: This weekend there is a “Fill the Bus” campaign at the Walmart off Route 31, where their goal is to fill a whole bus with donations of non-perishable foods. For now reporting live in Syracuse, Natalie Fahmy, NCC News.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Five years ago the Syracuse City School District brought the Blessing in a Backpack program to its students to help make sure they are well fed. And right now it is Blessing in a Backpack week, so SCSD is using this time to raise awareness to the program in order to help more kids.

Each Friday afternoon some students know their school lunch that day will be their last meal until Monday. But now, Blessing in a Backpack helps alleviate that hunger for students in fifth grade and below. SCSD Director of Food and Nutrition, Rachel Murphy, said the program started out serving just a handful of students.

“It went like wildfire,” Murphy said. “We started with 50 children in Delaware Elementary and very quickly, actually it’s extreme growth.”

a picture of a kid holding a sign that says "feeding the future"
Thousands of kids benefit from this program weekly.
© 2020 Natalie Fahmy

Now they serve over 1,200 students food every week. The cost is $135 per student, per year, but the pandemic created more demand.

“We know that the need is there and will be even greater during COVID and after, and probably for a while to come,” Murphy said.

Liverpool Chapter Program Coordinator John Meyer said the impact from hunger lasts a lifetime and can impact learning.

“You come into school Monday morning, you haven’t had anything to eat for 72 hours and your first thought is not, ‘well the teacher says take out your pencil,’” Meyer said.

But because of Blessings in a Backpack, every Friday students in need go home with something extra in their backpack. Instead of just notebooks and folders, they also have enough food to get them through the weekend.

“Blessings in a backpack is specifically designed for the child,” Murphy said. “We provide food that gets put into the child’s hands.”

“They don’t know who we are but we do know that they have the food and they know that somebody cares,” Meyer said.

a shelf full of canned food
The program is centered around giving students substantial and healthy food that includes protein.
© 2020 Natalie Fahmy

Murphy said they they make sure no student feels singled out at school when they receive their meal for the weekend.

“It’s very hush hush, we don’t stop all the kids and say ‘you, come here you need to get your pack for the weekend,’ none of that,” Murphy said.

Both Murphy and Meyer hope to see the program grow financially so they can continue providing for students.

“Children are our future, if they’re not fed, where are we,” Murphy said.

Anyone can get involved this Saturday at the Fill-a-Bus event where their goal is to load an entire bus with donations. The event is at the Walmart off Route 31.

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