last fall i heard about a program called blessings in a backpack. a dear friend had gotten it started out in wyoming. it intrigued me. i pondered it. i got info on it. i told a dear friend here in town. gave her the info. we pondered. we were intrigued. we sat on it. this summer during our love week, we committed to it!
so what is it you ask? it is simple really....do you realize how many kids are on free and reduced lunch at schools? in our kids' elementary alone there are well over 50% (i don't know the number but i know it is WELL over that 50 mark!). most of these kids enjoy their breakfast and lunch and go home to find empty shelves. sure there might be a few things, but not much. and for some kids, they are home alone during the weekends and what is in their shelves they can't prepare. these kids struggle to stay awake at school. they struggle to complete their work because they aren't alert. overall, they are simple and innocent kids that don't have the necessary things in life.
blessings in a packpack is a non-profit national organization. they send us the back packs and we raise the funds. then each friday we hand a backpack of food to a child selected by their guidance counselor. these items can be easily fixed or are ready to eat and for the child. studies have shown increased attendance, better grades, and better overall achievement.
you may ask, why can't their parents get help (food stamps, neighborhood center, etc...) well some do, but for many it simply isn't enough. or maybe the parent, sadly, doesn't provide for the child. our food banks are low on food as well. this is a problem that isn't getting better year to year - only worse. i personally have seen kids tuck part of their lunch in their pockets to take home for the weekend.
the NEED is real...and we can choose to wait for someone else to fix the problem, or we can help! for only $80 you can provide a backpack of food for one child for the ENTIRE school year! think about that a minute....you likely have $80 of food on one shelf in your pantry at home. can you imagine the smile on a child's face when they are given a bag of food to take home. children are often innocent victims of the systems. as i watched the help last night i was reminded of abilene's talk to mae mobely "you is kind, you is smart, you is important." with each back pack we get the chance to say those same things to a child.
would you consider helping? our goal is to feed 25 kids beginning in october. so far we have 5 sponsored. maybe you own a business and would want to be a corporate sponsor. please contact me for info - all donations are tax exempt!! would you join us in letting a child know that we believe in them????
blessings in a packpack is a non-profit national organization. they send us the back packs and we raise the funds. then each friday we hand a backpack of food to a child selected by their guidance counselor. these items can be easily fixed or are ready to eat and for the child. studies have shown increased attendance, better grades, and better overall achievement.
you may ask, why can't their parents get help (food stamps, neighborhood center, etc...) well some do, but for many it simply isn't enough. or maybe the parent, sadly, doesn't provide for the child. our food banks are low on food as well. this is a problem that isn't getting better year to year - only worse. i personally have seen kids tuck part of their lunch in their pockets to take home for the weekend.
the NEED is real...and we can choose to wait for someone else to fix the problem, or we can help! for only $80 you can provide a backpack of food for one child for the ENTIRE school year! think about that a minute....you likely have $80 of food on one shelf in your pantry at home. can you imagine the smile on a child's face when they are given a bag of food to take home. children are often innocent victims of the systems. as i watched the help last night i was reminded of abilene's talk to mae mobely "you is kind, you is smart, you is important." with each back pack we get the chance to say those same things to a child.
would you consider helping? our goal is to feed 25 kids beginning in october. so far we have 5 sponsored. maybe you own a business and would want to be a corporate sponsor. please contact me for info - all donations are tax exempt!! would you join us in letting a child know that we believe in them????
Comments