According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the estimated percent of related children age 5-17 in families in poverty for Edmonson County was 27% with the state average being 22%.  

According to the Community Assessment for Edmonson County, in 2017, there was a population of 12,226 with 3,729 of those being on either SNAP food stamps or considered food insecure.  That equates to be around 31% of the county.

Backpack food programs offer families free groceries for weekends and school breaks. Food backpacks include healthy, easy-to-prepare food for kid-friendly meals. Food banks partner with schools, Boys and Girls Clubs, and community centers to distribute backpacks to kids.  Every BackPack Program is unique. The backpacks in Edmonson County Schools through the Family Resource Center contain foods that are non-perishable and easily consumed for students throughout the weekend or at home in the evenings when they don't have access to meals or snacks during the school day.  

In the fall of 2023, the KSU 4-H agent reached out and partnered with the Family Resource Centers to include materials and resources into the backpacks for students and families.  These resources contain information on easy, cheap, healthy meal ideas for families, physical activities, SNAP-Ed approved recipes, family meal time activities, resources for finding food or assistance, take-home kits, agriculture, and various other topics.  At the conclusion of the school year, the agent would like to put together meal kits to send home with students to help supplement the lack of school meals during the break and work with the public library to provide activities and other opportunities to this demographic of youth in Edmonson County..

Of the five schools within the Edmonson County School district, there are 111 students currently receiving backpacks each week.