Sponsoring a School – What does it mean?

When people think about supporting Every Meal, they often think of donating or volunteering at a packing event. While those are incredible ways to get involved, there’s another opportunity that many people don’t know about: sponsoring a school.

In fact, many of the schools in Every Meal’s Weekend Meal Program are supported by one or more community sponsors. It’s a unique partnership that brings together schools, local organizations, and Every Meal to help ensure children have access to good food over the weekend.

A Community Working Together

One of the things that makes Every Meal different is that we don’t do this work alone.

Every successful school partnership relies on three groups working together:

• Every Meal provides the food, manages inventory, packs the bags, coordinates logistics, and delivers meals to the school.
• The school helps enroll students, promotes the program to families, and helps coordinate food distribution.
• The community sponsor provides financial support and/or volunteers who help place weekend meal bags into students’ backpacks, and builds a relationship with the school. 

Each partner plays an important role, making it possible for children to head home with food before the weekend begins.

Why Sponsoring a School Matters

A school sponsorship is about much more than funding a program.

It’s about building relationships within your community.

When a business, synagogue, mosque, club, church, civic organization, or other community group sponsors a school, they’re investing directly in the children and families who live where they work, worship, and serve.

Many sponsors tell us that volunteering at their partner school gives them a deeper understanding of food insecurity in their own community. Others appreciate seeing the direct impact of their support and the relationships they build with school staff over time.

Who Can Sponsor a School?

You don’t have to be a large corporation to make a difference.

Our sponsors include:

• Businesses
• Churches
• Synagogues
• Mosques
• Service clubs
• Community organizations
• Other groups looking to create a meaningful local impact

Some schools are even supported by multiple organizations working together because we know that when a community joins forces, we can accomplish far more than any one group could alone.

Could Your Organization Be the Next Sponsor?

Maybe you belong to a company that values giving back. Maybe your place of worship is looking for a hands-on local outreach opportunity. Or perhaps you’re involved in a civic group that’s searching for a meaningful way to serve.

Sponsoring a school offers your organization the opportunity to make a lasting impact, not just through financial support, but through ongoing relationships and volunteer engagement that help children receive nutritious, delicious, and relevant food every weekend.

If someone in your network is looking for a way to make a local difference, we’d love to start a conversation.

Learn more about sponsoring a school and what the partnership looks like by visiting our Sponsor a School page.