Lambert High School teacher Ed Gray is a busy man. In addition to his classroom duties, teaching AP Statistics, he advises the National Honor Society and guides students who run the Forsyth County, Georgia, Blessings in a Backpack program.  

The program began in 2012, when two students wanted to make a difference in their community. The students started small, feeding just over 50 students each year. Today, 150 National Honor Society students pack 600 bags a week—feeding 560 kids at 21 different schools in Forsyth County, GA, in the Atlanta metro area.  

Students from the NHS inventory product keep the campus closet organized, pre-count items for the weekly packing, and provide quality control while 150 students pack each Friday morning before school starts.  

These leadership skills and the impact the Blessings program has on the students at his high school are lessons that will stay with his students forever. Gray, who grew up in Vermont, credits similar lessons taught by his grandparents.

“My grandparents are my inspiration—we grew up in a financially challenged environment.  We came from a family sharing a community garden environment. My sister now runs a food pantry feeding 500 people a month. Now that my situation has changed, I recall all too well the challenges we faced—and I can make a difference.” 

Since taking over the Blessings program at Lambert three years ago, the program has grown by 20% each year. Although they benefit from the profits of a circus held by another non-profit, fundraising is always an issue, as is managing their time. The program has gained one or two new schools each year, but many more schools could be served if funding were plentiful. “Our NHS students could pack food for 100 schools a week if we had the funding to do so”, said Gray.  

Last summer, the National Honor Society officers were asked to do an impromptu presentation at the National Association of Secondary School Principals leadership conference. His officers did a great job of informing other student leaders and high school administrators about the Blessings program and its impact. However, once a school or group realizes the work involved, they are often reluctant to get started.  

“I tell them to start small, with one school. It is such a cool model to see kids feeding other kids. The efforts of my officers make this worthwhile; the leadership they are learning is long-lasting. If you are in it for the right reasons, all the work is worth it,” and Gray added, “I won’t let a kid go hungry on the weekend.”