As some Palm Beach County public schools transition from universal free school meals to an application-based system for the 2026–2027 school year, Boca Helping Hands is reminding families that its KidsPack Weekend Meal Program will continue to provide free supplemental food to children who need it at fifteen local elementary schools.
The change affects schools that no longer qualify for the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), meaning families at those schools must now apply and meet income guidelines for their children to receive free or reduced-price breakfasts and lunches.
For more than 15 years, Boca Helping Hands has partnered with local elementary schools to help address childhood hunger through its KidsPack Weekend Meal Program. The program currently serves students in 15 Palm Beach County schools, providing nutritious, easy-to-prepare food to take home each weekend when school meals are unavailable.
Unlike school meal programs, KidsPack has no income requirements or application process. Any student identified by participating schools as benefiting from the program can receive weekend meals.
Each year, Boca Helping Hands invests more than $500,000 in the KidsPack Weekend Meal Program, made possible entirely through the generosity of donors, foundations, businesses, and community partners.
“Boca Helping Hands has been a partner with local schools for more than 15 years, providing supplemental food assistance to elementary students through our KidsPack Weekend Meal Program,” said Andrew Hagen, CEO of Boca Helping Hands. “We will continue to stand with our schools and families as these changes take effect, and we hope our program can help make up for any loss of weekday school meals. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we provide weekend meals to students in 15 schools at a cost of more than half a million dollars each year.”
Hagen also encouraged families to complete the school meal application if their child’s school now requires one. “We encourage every eligible family to apply for free or reduced-price school meals,” Hagen said. “School breakfast and lunch remain the first line of defense against childhood hunger. Our KidsPack program is designed to complement those meals by ensuring children have nutritious food over the weekend, when school cafeterias are closed.”
Boca Helping Hands serves more than 35,000 Palm Beach County residents each year through food assistance and workforce development programs. The organization believes that no child should have to choose between learning and hunger and remains committed to working alongside local schools to ensure children have access to nutritious food every day of the week.
