LUMBERTON, N.C. – The Public Schools of Robeson County (PSRC) is proud to announce the expansion of the Backpack Pals Program to all schools across the district, thanks to the generosity and collaboration of several community partners, including the Robeson County Church and Community Center, Kiwanis Young Professionals, Communities in Schools (CIS), and Southeastern Integrated Care.
The Backpack Pals Program provides food for students to take home on weekends and school breaks, ensuring that children have access to nutritious meals even when they are not in school. The initiative’s expansion will now allow every PSRC school to participate, helping meet the basic needs of students districtwide.
In addition to the food program, the Church and Community Center also donated clothing racks to help stock school social worker “closets,” which provide students in need with access to essential clothing and hygiene items.
“We are so thankful for our community partners and school social workers who work each and every day to ensure that students’ basic needs are met,” said PSRC McKinney-Vento Liaison Shaneitha Nance. “These partnerships make a tremendous difference in the lives of our students and families.”
Special thanks were extended to PSRC Board of Education Chairman Tre Britt, who visited to show support and encouragement to the district’s social workers as they packed bags of donated food on Thursday. Nance also extended a special thanks to Brianna Goodwin, Executive Director of the Robeson County Church and Community Center, who presented Tanglewood Elementary School with funding to support student field trips in addition to supporting the Backpack Pals Program.
“This morning we hosted the Public Schools of Robeson County School Social Workers to pack hundreds of bags of food to send home with middle and high school students! Though it is a heartbreaking reality that some of our kids go without food on breaks and weekends, this program helps us in our ultimate aim to eradicate hunger in Robeson for people of all ages—starting with the smallest," a Thursday social media post by the Robeson County Church and Community Center reads.
The packing event took place on Thursday, October 16, 2025, and highlighted the power of collaboration between schools and local organizations working together to support the whole child.
For more information about the Backpack Pals Program or to learn how to support PSRC’s student support initiatives, please contact the district’s McKinney-Vento Liaison by emailing shaneitha.lee@robeson.k12.nc.us or calling 910-671-6000 Ext. 3331.