Photo courtesy of Patrick J. Malone
Blessings in a Backpack helps feed Alexandria students.
Some students who receive meals at school during the week may not have the same access to food on Saturdays and Sundays.
Blessings in a Backpack helps fill that weekend gap.
Angela Abrishami, vice president of the Northeast Region for Blessings in a Backpack, was at Mount Vernon Community School in Alexandria on Tuesday, September 22, where Washington Commanders players and volunteers packed 500 bags of food for students.
Commanders wide receiver Jaylin Lane, cornerback Rasul Douglas and mascot Major Tuddy participated in the event.
“Today's 500 bags will go directly to kids at Mount Vernon Community School, where Blessings in a Backpack currently provides weekly bags to about 120 children,” Abrishami said. “Support like today helps us keep that going consistently, but the need at Mount Vernon is bigger than what we're currently able to reach, so every bit of additional support means more kids at that school get fed on the weekends.”
Photo courtesy of Patrick Malone
Blessings in a Backpack helps feed Alexandria.
“This event also marks roughly three years of partnership with the Washington Commanders, who first reached out wanting to support a local Blessings program,” Abrishami said. “It's turned into meaningful partnerships, and we're endlessly grateful for their continued support of the kids we serve.”
Lane was also at Mount Vernon in September 2025 with teammates Chris Moore and Christopher Rodriguez Jr. and Major Tuddy. They helped volunteers pack 500 bags of food, and the Commanders contributed $5,000 to the program.
Landeros credited donations to the school's PTA and volunteers who ordered and picked up food, packed the bags and transported them to the school. Her work with Blessings in a Backpack was among her contributions recognized when she was named a Living Legend of Alexandria.
Abrishami said the effects of weekend hunger can show up when children return to school.
“I want to tell you about a boy named Connor,” Abrishami said. “He was fed well Monday through Friday at school, but by Monday morning he'd often be tired, restless, and quick to anger, struggling to focus or connect with his peers.”
Connor's school counselor noticed the pattern and contacted his family. His father had recently lost his job.
“When she spoke with Connor directly, she realized just how hungry he really was,” Abrishami said. “Once he started receiving a Blessings bag every Friday, everything changed. He went back to being funny, joyful, and silly, and told his counselor that on Fridays, he felt like he could rule the world.”
Photo courtesy of Patrick Malone
Blessings in a Backpack helps feed Alexandria students.
“He's just one of so many kids in our program going through the exact same thing,” Abrishami said.
Blessings in a Backpack has been operating nationally since 2009. Abrishami said the organization works to make sure elementary school children do not go hungry over the weekend because they lack reliable access to food outside the school week.
Since 2009, the organization has provided more than 30 million hunger-free weekends to children across the country, according to Abrishami. It is aiming to provide another 2.6 million during the current school year.
Blessings in a Backpack operates in more than 1,000 schools across 34 states. In the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia region, Abrishami said the organization currently serves about 4,650 children at 49 schools, including Mount Vernon Community School.
For Abrishami, the work started as a volunteer.
Before taking on her regional position, Abrishami led Blessings in a Backpack's work in Frederick, Maryland.
“I can't imagine a job more rewarding than making sure children have food on the weekends so they can do what they do best: be kids,” Abrishami said. “I never want a child to feel the kind of hunger pain Connor described, that burning in the stomach.”
Abrishami said the organization's focus is on sustainable growth while continuing to serve children already enrolled in its programs.
“Looking ahead, our focus is on sustainable growth,” she said. “Our first commitment is to the children already in our program, they need consistency. As we raise more support, we're able to feed more kids, and just as importantly, keep feeding the ones we already serve throughout their school years.”
Abrishami encouraged Alexandria residents who want to help to learn more about the organization.
“If your readers want to help, the best place to start is blessingsinabackpack.org,” she said. “That's where people can learn more or contribute directly to make sure more kids like Connor have full bellies on Monday morning.”
