Backpack Ministry

Our Backpack Ministry has been greatly blessed in January and February. In January we were recipients of a generous grant from the Posey Perry Emergency Food Fund. We are purchasing food items and hoping to build our pantry with food that will carry us into the 2025-2026 school session .

In February we received 206 cans of soup from the Souper Bowl Contest. Helping Hands also received 206 cans of soup. What a blessing for both ministries.

Since we have adequate funding for the time being we will not be asking for food contributions from our congregation. Thanks to all of you for being so kind and generous with your giving.

Our Church still has other Children’s ministries you might want to consider. Remember our Shoebox Ministry which benefits children around the world. The Undie Sunday project of the ladies circle can use donations of socks and underwear for the children of Helping Hands clients.

We praise God for his provision to our Backpack Ministry. Twelve years ago Joyce Mills knew that this ministry was badly needed and that God would provide all our needs.

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

Winter showed its ugly side with snow and ice causing our children to miss school multiple days in January. Many children depend on school breakfasts and lunches for the only food they have for the day. Not only do they miss learning, they miss being fed.

Luckily they had one day of school during that week and we prepared their Backpack weekend food and delivered it to the school on that day. Hopefully they had food for the next few days till school started again.

Thanks to everyone who donated food, money and prayers to this important ministry. May God Bless each one of you.

For the month of February please donate applesauce cups.

Each of our Backpack Kids had some nice surprises under their trees on Christmas morning. Our volunteer shoppers bought items on every child’s wish list and wrapped them beautifully. We delivered the gifts to Beckley Elementary for distribution to the parents or guardians of the children. We hope each child found love, caring and fun in every package.

Thank You! to each volunteer for your time and caring for these children. Thanks to everyone who donated food, money or prayers for our Backpack Ministry. May God Bless every one of you!

For the month of January please donate Vienna Sausages.

Our volunteers have been shopping for our 22 Backpack children. Each child has a wish list they have completed with the help of their teachers. Our volunteers do a wonderful job finding clothing first then purchase toys with any money left.  They all do a great job wrapping each gift to surprise the children.  We will have all the gifts back to the church by December 11th to be delivered to the school. The school will notify each parent or guardian to pick the gifts up before Christmas vacation.

Thanks to each of the volunteers for shopping. Thanks to everyone who has donated food, money or prayed for our Backpack children.

Please donate fruit cups for the month of December.

Our Backpack Ministry is in full swing feeding our backpack children at Beckley Elementary School. As food prices continue to rise we keep looking to every source for lowest prices available.

We have an opportunity to receive some money from the Posey Perry Emergency Food Distribution Fund. I am submitting a grant proposal to request funds from that program.  Hopefully we will be granted some
money to help us with rising food costs.

Thanks to each one of you who has donated cash, food or prayed for our backpack children. May God bless each one of you!

For the month of November please donate tomato or chicken noodle soup.

For the tenth year we are providing weekend food for children at Beckley Elementary who may not have adequate food at home. I know it is hard for us to imagine our own children being in this situation. Our church congregation and our friends have made it possible to feed these children during the school year. We Praise God for your giving to our Backpack Ministry to make it successful all these years! Thanks to each one of you!

For the month of October, please donate pudding cups.

School is back in session and we will be packing food for our children as soon as the guidance counselor notifies us they are ready.

We have been shopping all summer for food to stock our pantry. We have purchased several items from the Mountaineer Food Bank including 8oz containers of shelf safe milk, juice boxes, cans of chicken and tuna. They are donating 72 jars of peanut butter which is a great blessing.

God has blessed us over the past 10 years in providing us what is necessary to help these children and we look forward to continuing this help. Thanks to everyone who has donated food, money or prayed for our Backpack Ministry. May God bless each of you!

For the month of September please donate packets of instant oatmeal.

School is starting on August 24th and we are preparing for a new school year. We feed children at Beckley Elementary that may not have food at home on the weekends. We will search local stores as well as the Mountaineer Food Bank for bargains. Prices continue to go up but we do our best to find the lowest prices available.

We are asking once again for donations of peanut butter. Every other week we try to give the children a jar of peanut butter. Each week we give them a loaf of fresh bread as well. We have purchased small packets of jelly for them so that they can make PB&J sandwiches. So, if you can, please donate 12oz. jars of peanut butter.

Thanks to each one of you for your donations of food, money and prayers for our Backpack Ministry. May God Bless You All!

School is out and I am sure our Backpack Children are looking forward to sleeping late and spending their days playing.

Our Backpack pantry is almost empty so we will shop all summer to restock it with good healthy food for the next school term. We try to find bargains but as we all know there are very few. Thanks to the generosity of our congregation and friends we will be able to purchase what we need. Thanks to everyone who has donated food, money and prayers to our Backpack Ministry. May God Bless Each One of You!

For the month of June please donate 12oz. jars of peanut butter.

I am sure our Backpack children are counting down the days left until summer vacation. The school calendar shows June 6 as the last day. We have provided food every week to ensure our children will have enough to eat during the weekends.

Thanks to everyone who has donated food, money and prayers for our backpack children. May God Bless each one of you!

For the month of May, please donate Ramen Noodles.