Please join us on Wednesday, July 6 to celebrate the final Weymouth Market!
The Weymouth Market has been a tremendous success, and we are fortunate to have so many wonderful people, organizations and businesses that have supported our efforts over the years.
The market would not have been possible without our partner, the Greater Boston Food Bank, and we are incredibly grateful for their ongoing support as we’ve worked to find the most effective and efficient ways to support our school community with food insecurities.
We would like to extend a special thank you to South Shore Savings Bank for their donation of bags which helped sustain the market throughout COVID. Additionally, we would like to extend our gratitude to everyone in our community who supported the Weymouth Market, and helped make it successful and something truly special for both our district and the entire community.
As the market grew, and efforts to end food insecurity became stronger, many of our schools began to identify a new challenge- students in need of food over the weekends. This led to the inception of the backpack program, created and managed by AAMS staff members Kathleen Lyon-Mahoney and Marissa Matta, and an army of volunteers, to support the social, academic, emotional, and nutritional wellbeing of our students. The program provides students in need with kid-friendly, nutritious meals in a backpack every Friday, a food supply to last the weekend.
As this grassroots program took shape, and began to grow across several schools, its impact was exponential. We learned providing students with food every weekend led to improved attendance and a positive impact on academics. By decreasing academic stress we can support our students’ mental health and well-being, and decrease their likelihood of developing anxiety or depression.
It’s important as a district we constantly assess our efforts, and look to expand our time and resources in the areas where we can have the largest impact, and directly reach those in need.
Next year the district, with our friends and partners at the Weymouth Food Pantry, is making preparations to expand and strengthen the backpack program for all students, making it accessible to every school and student in need grades K-12. Any family who needs assistance providing food for their child on the weekend can enroll, and we will ensure a backpack filled with food is sent home every Friday, every week, for as long as it's needed.
The backpack program began six years ago when two of our talented and mindful educators recognized a challenge and implemented a solution, and has evolved into a tremendous asset for our entire school community. We are thrilled to offer this program districtwide next year, and so grateful for your support. You can learn more about the backpack program on our website, or on July 6 at the final Weymouth Market as we celebrate and offer our thanks to the many community sponsors and partners that have supported Weymouth Market throughout the years.
Thank you,
Robert Wargo
Superintendent
