Spotlight on: Backpack Program!
We have a new outreach to the schools of Dent County called Love Packs. Love Packs isn’t an original idea, but a copy of an idea finding great success around the country. It works something like this:
Many school children are eligible for free and reduced price breakfast and lunch at school each weekday. This program is awesome, but come the weekend what do these kids do? Truth be told, some of these kids have little or nothing to eat each weekend. Love Packs is a program to help with this need. A back pack is filled with nutritious food to feed a child for the weekend and sent home with select children The pack includes dinner Friday evening, and 3 meals for Saturday and Sunday, assuring the kids don’t miss a meal during the weekend. The program is in it’s infancy in Dent County, but we have had a wonderful and supportive beginning.
The children are selected by the principals at each school served, we have no input in who is served. This provides anonymity for the children and places the distribution with the person best equipped to provide the needed resources.
Thus far we have had $3,766.00 donated to the cause, commodities have been donated by 8 entities, and 1 entity has given us 10% off the retail cost of products. These donations have come form 32 different sources.
We have spent $2,623.52 of our donated resources to pack 276 packs between March 1 and May 21st. This distribution has been through 5 different schools in Dent County. We began packing 10 packs a week and have expanded to the point we are packing 45 packs a week with the help of 10 volunteers.
If you would like to help with donations they can be sent to the church or given to Jann Craig. Please mark your donations, “Love Packs”. Volunteers are also needed, please give Jann a call to get involved.
Tags: Backpack Program, UMW
