In 2010, the Weakley County Schools Health Coordinator spoke to the Dresden Rotary Club about the challenges of teaching and fostering good nutrition in the school system. During her presentation, she talked about the problem of children not having enough to eat and that some communities had started providing food to hungry children on the weekends as a way to supplement their diet. Many in the Rotary Club were surprised that food insecurity was such an issue in our county. This was the beginning of the Weakley County Backpack Program. After that meeting, several people met and discussed the formation and viability of a program to feed the hungry children of Weakley County. It seemed like a good idea and the right thing to do. Many months were spent studying other backpack programs, raising money, and complying with applicable state and federal laws. All of this was done entirely by volunteers in the community. The Dresden Rotary Club provided the initial seed money to begin buying the food. The program initially fed 17 children at Dresden Elementary School in the fall of 2011. In the 2012-2013 school year, the program was expanded to reach students kindergarten through 12th grade. With the help of tireless volunteers throughout Weakley County, the program currently serves children in each school throughout Weakley County with a total reach of over 200 children. The Weakley County Backpack Program maintains the highest level of confidentiality and anonymity possible. The board and volunteers do not know the names of the children who benefit from the program.