Who We Are

History

Weekend Backpacks began in 2015 when our founder, Sandie Nagel, was volunteering in a school and saw firsthand how food insecurity affects a student’s ability to learn and succeed. She began packing bags with a small group of family and friends for 18 students at that school and we’ve continued to grow since then. We were officially founded as an independent nonprofit in December 2017 and by January 2018 we had moved into our own facility to accommodate packing and delivering over 500 bags a week.

In March 2020 when the Covid-19 crisis shut down schools, Weekend Backpacks, along with many other organizations, stepped up to provide as much help as possible to school-aged children in the Baltimore City community. Weekly bag distribution increased to over 800 in March and personal hygiene items were added. By May of that year we were delivering over 1,000 bags every week.

At the start of the 2023 school year we were supporting 1,200 families. In January 2024, we began a partnership with the Weinberg Foundation’s Library Project, which allowed us to add on ten schools and over 600 families.

As we approach our tenth year of service, we are currently supporting up to 1,800 students and their families every week and are continuing to grow to help meet the needs of the students.