Sandy Springs Realtor Debbie Sonnenshine was named one of 10 finalists in the National Association of REALTORS’® 2026 Good Neighbor Awards for founding Backpack Buddies of Metro Atlanta.
Sonnenshine, an agent with Coldwell Banker Realty and former pediatric social worker, started the nonprofit after hearing about a young student who depended on school meals during the week but went hungry over the weekend because his parents couldn’t afford to feed him.
Backpack Buddies works to fill that gap by providing Atlanta-area students with bags of healthy food every Friday. Since it was founded, the number of children it serves has grown from 750 to over 3,000. The group serves 50 schools thanks to the help of 35 local organizations, including churches, synagogues, civic organizations and Coldwell Banker…