AUBURN, Ala. (WRBL) - Every Friday during the school year, nearly 850 East Alabama elementary school students head home with more than just books in their backpacks. Thanks to the East Alabama Food Bank’s Backpack Program, they carry six weekend meals—two breakfasts, two lunches, and two snacks—to help them through until Monday.

“We serve 14 different schools in the area—I think the final number at the end of the year was 845—which is a very bittersweet number,” said Neeley Chapman, Programs Coordinator and Administrative Assistant with the East Alabama Food Bank. “The number was about 250 to 300 just a few years ago. In the course of about two to four years, it’s quadrupled.”

The backpack program aims to ensure children who rely on school meals during the week don’t go hungry over the w

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