The Food Backpacks 4 Kids program began on the Key Peninsula in 2009. Since then, we have given away over 1.5 million pounds of nutritious food to children and their families. Today, as part of Food 4 All, this work continues to grow, expanding our reach and deepening our impact across the community.

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In our first week of operation, nine backpacks were packed for distribution at Evergreen Elementary School. Ten years later, the program had grown to serve 500 children each week. Our original core group of volunteers came from the Key Peninsula, Agnus Dei Lutheran Church, and Peninsula Lutheran Church. Together, they prepared backpacks for 14 schools in our district. Year after year, week after week, these dedicated volunteers showed up for the children in our community.

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In March of 2020, the week the pandemic closed schools, we immediately responded to the challenges. We created a drive-thru distribution program in three locations on the Key Peninsula and in Gig Harbor. Instead of 10-pound backpacks, families received grocery bags and boxes filled with fresh, frozen, and nonperishable foods. What began as a short-term solution became an 18-month lifeline for hundreds of families.

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We opened the doors to our Family Pantry in September of 2021, where over 200 families now shop for groceries or receive Home Delivery. We continue to send backpacks throughout the Peninsula School District for younger children, while middle and high school students can access meal options and snacks through Care Cupboards. In 2024 we added the Family Resource Center to help with needs beyond food. Through Food 4 All, these programs are now part of a broader vision to ensure consistent access to nutritious food for all ages.

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We have grown tremendously while staying true to our mission and commitment to the children and families in our community. Today, under the Food 4 All umbrella, our work reflects a larger movement—one built by our community, for our community. We are incredibly grateful for the continued support through donations, food drives, and thousands of volunteer hours that make this work possible.