More than 1,200 “Beach Bags” go home with VBCPS students on most Friday afternoons.

They are filled with cereal or oatmeal, shelf-stable milk, fruit cups, juice boxes, snacks and individual-sized meals, such as ravioli and macaroni and cheese.

The nonprofit Virginia Beach Education Foundation(VBEF) started the Beach Bags program to provide meals and healthy snacks to students who might otherwise go hungry during weekends, school breaks and summer.

VBEF Coordinator Debbie Hughes said the initiative fills a huge need in the community.

“These are real-life situations where families don’t have the ability to provide for their kids as much as they would like,” she said.

“We want to make sure every student has the equitable opportunity to get food.”

Volunteers gather weekly in a VBCPS warehouse to fill the bags, made possible through donations and monetary contributions.

Support Social’s Charity Fundraiser

Jordan Schoonover and friend Carly Maher have been friends since attending Kellam High School. They both work in the corporate world and started the nonprofit organization “Support Social.”

“We wanted to do something fun and raise money for causes,” Schoonover said.

The former Ocean Lakes High School teacher said she missed the “give back” connection from her 11 years of teaching and was aware of the Beach Bags program.

When her team of five won first place in Support Social’s second annual flip cup charity tournament, they chose Beach Bags as the recipient of their $3,850 winnings.

Everyone was onboard when they learned about how the program helps VBCPS students, Schoonover said.

“We were happy to make the donation, especially knowing that the funds go directly to pay for the food in the Beach Bags.”

Louise Martin’s Pennies

Bev Sessoms was familiar with Beach Bags. She has helped stuff them in conjunction with the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival. Also, her sister-in-law is retired VBCPS principal Barbara Sessoms.

She donated $450 collected in pennies by her mother Louise Martin, who passed away in 2019 at age 96.

“My mom was passionate about helping children,” Sessoms said.

Martin once heard about a student in need at Birdneck Elementary, where Barbara Sessoms was principal.

She wanted to help, so she purchased the young boy a pair of shoes. Bev Sessoms said her mother continued to inquire about the family and kept a photo of the young boy by her bedside.

The initial plan for Martin’s coins was to divide them between the grandchildren, who are now grown, or the seven great-grandchildren.

Her family decided the money would make more of an impact as a Beach Bags donation.

It’s what her mother would have wanted, Sessoms said.

Since each beach bag costs about $5, that means Martin provided 90 bags for VBCPS students in need.

“Every little bit helps,” Sessoms said.

Approximately 47,000 Beach Bags were distributed during the 2023-24 school year, and about 50,000 are expected to be sent home with students this year.

For information about the Beach Bags program, call the VBEF at (757) 263-1949.