Northwest AHEC staff were able to volunteer alongside Dr. Cathleen Wheatley, President of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. They worked hard to pack backpacks with the Forsyth Backpack program to give WSFCS students food over spring break.

Lara Dickerson, Ellen Zimmerman, Dr. Cathleen Wheatley, & Brooke Kochanski

Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist purchased and donated the food which was used to pack food for students in WSFCS to have access to during spring break. Thousands of bags were packed by Atrium Health volunteers on Wednesday, March 13th through the Atrium Health Serves staff volunteer program. 

Forsyth Backpack Program is a local nonprofit based in Forsyth County focused on providing nutritious food to children and their families who are at risk of food insecurity. 

Forsyth Backpack Program is a local, volunteer-led 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission to provide nutritious food in backpacks on weekends and holidays to local school children who have been identified by school personnel as being in need of food.

Without the backpack food, these children may have little to no access to food (healthy or otherwise) over the weekend or long holidays. With the food, the children are able to return to school after the weekend or holiday break better ready to pay attention, learn and play.

School Programs — FBP provides weekend meals to approximately 470 students each school year weekend. Current programs include: Cook, Forest Park, Gibson, Kimberley Park, Konnoak, Appalachian State University Academy at Middle Fork, Ashley, Jefferson and Union Cross for Elementary schools and both Hanes Middle School and Southeast Middle. FBP also works with but does not run the programs at Sherwood Forest and Whitaker elementary schools.