Blessings in a Backpack Week provides food to students in need

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Making sure students in the Syracuse City School District don’t go hungry this school year, the city school district, along with Mayor Ben Walsh, are recognizing this week as Blessings in a Backpack Week.

The program helps provide food for students outside of school hours, including weekends, holidays, and school breaks, and with the school district beginning the year remotely, Blessings in a Backpack has become an essential service for families.

“We’ve been running it now for a few years, but like everything else, in the middle of a pandemic, the need has never been greater,” Mayor Walsh said.

More than 900 students from five Syracuse city schools currently receive meals through the program.