In 2011, in Kansas City, Missouri, a high school principal named Linda Brown saw a troubling trend: many students were coming to school hungry, unable to focus or excel. She decided to act. Partnering with a local church and area businesses, Linda launched a program called “BackSnack,” which provided backpacks filled with food for students to take home over the weekend.
The effort started small, targeting just a handful of students whose families were struggling the most. But as word spread, donations poured in, and the program grew. Volunteers from the community helped pack and distribute the food each week, and the impact was immediate. Teachers reported that students returned to school on Mondays more energized, focused, and ready to learn.
One story that stood out involved a student named Marcus, whose family had been quietly struggling. When he received his first BackSnack, his mother broke down in tears, relieved to have one less burden. The program not only fed children but also brought awareness to the hidden hunger affecting so many families in the area.
Over the years, the initiative expanded beyond Linda’s school, becoming a model adopted by other districts in Missouri and beyond. What began as one principal’s effort to feed a few students became a community-driven mission to ensure no child went hungry.
