Story by pvr.staging.communityq.com

Jacksonville Country Day School (JCDS) second-grade students partnered with Nemours Children’s Health to create more than 400 bags filled with healthy food to be distributed by Blessings in a Backpack.

Blessings in a Backpack provides food for the weekends for school-aged children attending Title 1 schools, meaning that at least 40% of their students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, across America, including the Jacksonville area.

The bags filled as a part of this service learning project will go to a nearby elementary school. Inside the packages were healthy food items donated by Nemours Children’s Health, in cooperation with Sysco, that included things like: chicken noodle soup, low-sugar packaged cereal bowls, Goldfish, graham crackers and more. JCDS students topped the bags off with a hand-drawn card, created by many grade levels, to brighten the recipient’s day.

“It makes me sad thinking kids my age may be hungry on the weekends, so it makes me feel really good to help other students with this drive, ” said Major H., JCDS Second Grade Student.

Every week, Blessings in a Backpack helps to feed more than 5,000 kids in the greater Jacksonville area while serving 40 schools. For this specific drive, more than 50 JCDS second-graders and more than 15 parent volunteers helped out.

“My favorite part about doing a food-packing event with new supporters is introducing them to Blessings in a Backpack and our mission, ” said Samantha Minton, First Coast managing director, Blessings in a Backpack.

Through partnerships like the one with Nemours and Blessings in a Backpack, JCDS continues to reinforce the importance of service, ensuring students not only understand the challenges others face but also play a meaningful role in addressing them.

All JCDS students participate in service learning projects throughout the school year. These impactful experiences instill a sense of empathy and social responsibility in the students, preparing them to become compassionate leaders who actively contribute to their communities.