Snack in a Backpack children receive books for summer reading

  • Cayley Hamilton is shown, at the Book Dropoff 2023, unboxing the books for the Feed and Read Fannin event.
    Cayley Hamilton is shown, at the Book Dropoff 2023, unboxing the books for the Feed and Read Fannin event.
  • Shown are, left, Gina Farrell and Bethany Higgins, Snack in a Backpack volunteers, helping to organize and pack the books.
    Shown are, left, Gina Farrell and Bethany Higgins, Snack in a Backpack volunteers, helping to organize and pack the books.

    Feed & Read Fannin has delivered summer books to Snack in a Backpack children for the third year.

    A total of 323 of these Fannin County children recently went home with a new book to read over summer break thanks to two local nonprofits, Feed & Read Fannin and Snack in a Backpack.

    Feed & Read Fannin was founded by elementary school teacher, Cayley Hamilton, and the idea originally began as a project for her graduate studies. To date, Feed & Read Fannin has provided 859 books to pre-k and elementary school children through its partnership with Snack in a Backpack.

    “This initiative is a team effort. Snack in a Backpack reaches more students on our behalf each year as the need for their services has increased,” said Hamilton. “We have been so fortunate to have such a wonderful community of donors who have shown their support from day one.”

    Snack in a Backpack provides shelf-stable, kid-friendly snack and meal options to children in need on a weekly basis – filling in critical gaps over the weekends and school breaks when school meals are not available. Snack in a Backpack volunteers fill the children’s weekly food bags with the books from Feed & Read Fannin, organizing by grade level and school, before distributing the food as normally scheduled.

    Throughout the 2022/2023 school year, Feed & Read Fannin sourced books primarily through online advocacy and community outreach. Hamilton leveraged the organization’s Facebook page and created an Amazon Wish List, allowing donors to have the books delivered directly to the organization. Local businesses were also happy to contribute to book purchases.

    This year, the children received bestsellers, including Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, May I Please Have a Cookie, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Rainbow Fish, The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe, Tornado and Wish. Hamilton also worked with Fannin County High School TSA (Technology Student Association) students to create bookmarks for the 4th and 5th grade chapter books to add another special touch this year.

    “It’s important to me that young children have access to reading materials,” explained Hamilton. “Giving kids an opportunity to discover a love for reading is crucial for early childhood education, and I want them to realize they should never quit turning over the next page in their lives.”