School backpack programs have been a staple in food banking, with Feeding America’s network supporting such programs in over 10,000 schools and institutions and providing more than 54 million meals in 2022. Feeding Tampa Bay took a different route and shifted its focus to school pantries after conducting research that revealed significant shortcomings in backpack programs.

Feeding Tampa Bay currently supports 75 school pantries across five school districts, expanding from a pilot program of eight pantries in 2018. The shift from backpacks to school pantries was influenced by a partnership between Feeding Tampa Bay and the University of South Florida, where Dr. David Himmelgreen, a board member of the food bank, teaches nutritional anthropology. This partnership led to in-depth research on the value of school backpack programs and the subsequent transition to school pantries.

Research conducted in 2016 showed that children at a local Boys and Girls Club, many of whom came from farming families, did not benefit significantly from the backpack program. The shared food often did not go very far, and unfamiliar food items were often left unused. Feeding Tampa Bay initially attempted to address these issues within the backpack model but faced challenges related to the weight of the backpacks, logistical considerations for culturally appropriate choices, and the unintended burden placed on children to act as heads of households.

Consequently, Feeding Tampa Bay shifted to a new model and piloted eight school pantries, resulting in immediate improvements. Pantries offered a greater variety of food, including frozen prepared meals and dairy products, thanks to the introduction of cold storage units. Families could now choose the food they wanted, providing them with dignity and giving the food bank valuable insights into food preferences.

An unexpected benefit of school pantries was the opportunity to build trusted relationships between schools and families. School pantries allowed schools to demonstrate care for the entire family, beyond academic success. Other positive outcomes included the ability to conduct further research on school food, students gaining leadership experience through volunteering, and assisting school districts in increasing their volume of SNAP applications.

While there are logistical challenges related to space, delivery, and background screenings for drivers, Feeding Tampa Bay is determined to overcome them. The organization’s strategic plan focuses on bringing food to places where people already gather, making public schools an ideal venue due to their high community participation and detailed family data.

Feeding Tampa Bay treats school pantries as a distribution strategy rather than a separate program, considering them an integral part of standard food bank operations. The organization views schools in a similar light to traditional partner agencies, recognizing the importance of reaching people where they are instead of asking them to come to the food bank.v