Weekend Backpacks Kicks Off Virtual Series to Help Feed Kids during the Pandemic

Looking for a fun and creative way to fight the food insecurity epidemic in our midst? Weekend Backpacks has just the ticket.

A Pikesville-based nonprofit that provides weekend meals to food-insecure youth in Baltimore City, Weekend Backpacks is launching its “Chefs’ Event Reimagined,” a four-part virtual food series. The series aims to raise funds for supplying bags of food to kids who rely on public schools to provide most of their meals.

The series is open to the public and kicks off with “Mixology 101: Dueling Bartenders” on Sunday, Mar. 21, from 3-4 p.m. on Zoom.

Led by two of Charm City’s star mixologists, Justin Austin, beverage director of Linwood’s, and Steve Wecker, beverage director of Cured and 18th & 21st, the event will feature step-by-step demonstrations of how to create four specialty cocktails.

Registrants will be provided with the main curated ingredients required to make each drink prior to the event.

With a volunteer base of more than 300 people that assembles and delivers the bags, Weekend Backpacks – which was founded in 2015 under the auspices of Miriam Lodge — is deeply supported by Women of Baltimore Hebrew and maintains a long-standing relationship with Har Sinai-Oheb Shalom Congregation.

Nearly all proceeds from the events will go toward purchasing essential food items. Each bag contains enough food to feed three children up to six meals.

Due to school shutdowns over the past year amid the pandemic, the number of meals needed to feed this vulnerable population throughout the school year more than doubled from nearly 300,000 in 2019 to 630,000 last year.

“When schools were closed due to the ongoing safety concerns surrounding COVID-19, the need was greater than ever as thousands of children were left without access to their main source of food,” said retired educator Sandie Nagel, who founded Weekend Backpacks with her late husband, Fred, and their friend, Carolyn Cooperman. “Children cannot learn and develop when their days start and end with the pangs of food insecurity. Although schools are now reopening, we still have a long way to go in order to reach every child in the capacity that’s needed today. We know that the funds raised from these events will help provide these children and their families with some relief and much-needed hope.”

Said Weekend Backpacks President Stu Dettelbach: “Food insecurity impacts young lives in often unbearable and sometimes long-lasting ways. At Weekend Backpacks, our mission is to make sure no child goes hungry by providing the essential nourishing food they need outside of school when it is often unavailable. We’re very excited to announce this imaginative series featuring creative cocktails and tasty recipes that individuals and families can enjoy in the comfort of their homes and that will enable us to do more for our kids.”

The minimum donation for the “Mixology 101: Dueling Bartenders” event is $45, which includes most of the ingredients needed to make the specialty cocktails with the exception of any alcohol, which is the responsibility of the participant. Additional events within the “Chefs’ Event Reimagined” food series include cupcake decorating, “BBQ and Brew,” and artisanal breads.

Those interested can register for one or all four events at a discounted price by visiting weekendbackpacks.org/forourkids. To learn more about Weekend Backpacks and how to get involved, visit weekendbackpacks.org.