Every Thursday, volunteers in Boerne, Texas, turn a short packing shift into a handoff that reaches students across the school district. They gather at Boerne ISD headquarters, fill weekend food bags, check the lists and help get the bags back to campuses. School newsletters describe brief Thursday packing and delivery windows at specific campuses; KSAT reports volunteers complete the weekly operation in less than two hours.
The local effort is run through Blessings in a Backpack. In a report published Oct. 15, KSAT said volunteers pack hundreds of bags for Boerne ISD students who participate in the free or reduced-price lunch program. Organizers told the station the Boerne program has grown from one school to more than 500 students across all 14 district campuses. Those figures come from the organizers’ account to the reporter.
The district’s own newsletters show how the work fits into school life. A Sept. 25 Van Raub Elementary newsletter asked for a weekly “Blessing Leader” to move bags and wagons between the school and the district administration building. It said packing usually begins at 9 a.m. on Thursdays and is generally finished by about 10:30. A Kendall Elementary newsletter posted Oct. 8 invited helpers to meet at district headquarters Thursdays from 9:30 to 10:30 or 11 a.m., pack bags, and then help distribute them at Kendall.
The notices give two campus-specific schedules rather than one universal start time. Together with KSAT’s Oct. 15 reporting, they document a program still operating during the current school year and show how a central packing shift connects to delivery at individual schools. Van Raub’s volunteer role includes transporting bags; Kendall’s notice describes both packing and distribution.
Kendall’s invitation also says volunteers can come weekly or whenever they are able. Van Raub’s newsletter asks for one transport leader each week, usually on Thursdays. Those roles show that participation can mean different kinds of help: moving supplies between locations, packing food or taking bags back to campus. The work depends on recurring coordination as much as on the food itself.
Kathy Bandujo, who started the Boerne program, told KSAT that it began at one school about 14 years ago. She said it now reaches more than 500 students in all 14 Boerne ISD campuses. The local chapter is connected to the national nonprofit Blessings in a Backpack, while the school notices identify the Thursday work and volunteer needs at particular campuses.
The bags are intended to help cover meals and snacks through the weekend. Bandujo told KSAT that a typical bag is meant to provide breakfast, lunch and three snacks each day. The report does not claim that every student receives identical items or measure what the program changes for families; it describes the food volunteers pack and the schedule that gets it to schools.
The packing is designed to be brief and repeatable. KSAT reported that volunteers fill bags, double-check lists and deliver them in less than two hours each week. Organizers said as many as 40 volunteers may take part. The school newsletters also document the recurring help needed to move bags between the administration building and campuses.
The program also keeps recipient identities out of the volunteer task. Bandujo told KSAT volunteers do not know which students receive the bags. The work is focused on preparing and moving food; the school notices invite community members to help without naming the students who receive it.
Audra Duran, the program coordinator, told KSAT rising food prices have made it harder to stock nutritious items. She said donations to the Boerne effort go toward food. That is the local organizers’ description of their spending, rather than an independent audit of the program’s finances.
The effort is notable for its steady rhythm: an assembly line on Thursday, a check of the bags, and a trip back to schools before the weekend. The posted schedules show volunteers can help at more than one step, from packing to transportation and distribution. The program’s stated purpose is to send food home for weekends, when school meals are not served.
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