by Joyce Mills
Real children! Children attending Beckley Elementary School! They live very near to us and they are hungry. How can that be? Most of these children have parents who work, maybe even two jobs, but they don’t make enough to pay their bills and buy enough food for their families.
Hunger is one of the many faces of poverty. Hunger weakens children. Hunger also keeps a child from learning. Hunger increases the reason for children being absent from school. There are many things that can be caused by hunger but it is good to know that we might be making a difference for some children. AND, we do know that attendance is better on Friday when the food backpacks are picked up by the children for the weekend. The backpacks packed by FBC are filled with very nutritious food.
Each item of food has to be child friendly. There can be no glass in the backpack. Only food that needs no refrigeration can be put in the backpack. Here is a sample for one child for one weekend:
Breakfast Lunch Dinner Snacks
2 Oatmeal packets 1 jar Peanut Butter 1 Pasta/with Meat 1 Cereal Bar
2 Hot Chocolate packets 1 Ramen Noodle packet 1 can Green Beans 2 Pudding Cups
1 loaf Bread 1 Cheese/Crackers 1 Chili with Beans 2 Fruit Cups
The cost for one child for each weekend is between $6.00 – $7.00. Each time you provide any amount of money you are helping to make a difference for a child. We appreciate any amount of money that you give. THANKS to you who have kept your contributions coming all summer AND also, for the food that you have kept bringing.
It is great to welcome some parents and their children who will be learning more about hungry children as they help pack the backpacks. This mission field is right here in Beckley.
In Matthew 25:35-40 Jesus says “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat…….” Then the righteous will answer Him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry?” The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” The real evidence of our belief is the way we act. What we do for others really demonstrates what we think of Jesus’ words to us-feed the hungry!
For the month of September you are asked to bring Beanie Weenies. (Any size) Just put the cans on the back counter in the kitchen. Thanks for your help!