More than 250 children at three Apache Junction Unified School District schools are given special backpacks twice a month on Fridays filled with nutritious food for the weekend or before school breaks.

The student backpack food program started in 2023 with a financial gift to the Superstition Community Food Bank, Executive Director Erik Arriola said.

“Many children in our community rely on school meal programs for breakfast and lunch, but weekends can be a different story. Food insecurity doesn’t take a break, and for some families those two days can mean empty cupboards and hungry bellies. After thoughtful collaboration with the school district, we recognized a clear need — and the backpack program was born,” he said.

The program is partially paid for by the city of Apache Junction thr

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