by Joyce Mills
Some of you have been reading about the Backpack Ministry for four years. It was started in February 2013. That does not seem possible! We have about the same workers that started the program. The workers have had tremendous passion and loyalty to the program since the very beginning. The only thing that has changed much is the number of children who receive food for the weekend. We are now preparing 24 backpacks that go home with the children every Friday. This program should not be increasing in number – the number should be going down if there is improvement. Why should there even be hungry children in our own backyards?
Many children and families face a food shortage at home. In Beckley, many families struggle with hunger, especially during evenings and weekends when children don’t have access to healthy school meals. In addition: Working poor parents who must pay for childcare often don’t have enough money to feed their families. Or, suddenly unemployed adults or those who’ve had their hours reduced often don’t have adequate funds to meet both food and basic living needs.
There is a movement in our country that seems to be saying to each of us, “DO ONE THING FOR A BETTER WORLD”. Certainly, at First Baptist there are opportunities to do that one thing. It is just a matter of choice! There are things you can do alone or there are things you can do in a group –like helping with the backpacks or working at Helping Hands Resource Center.
The following are some interesting quotes about hungry children. It was surprising to read the quote and then to see who had said it.
“There are genuinely sufficient resources in the world to ensure that no one, nowhere, at no time, should go hungry.” Ed Asner
“Hungry people cannot be good at learning or producing anything, except perhaps violence.” Pearl Bailey
“I can’t think of any issue that is more important than working to see that no schoolchild in this world goes hungry.” Drew Barrymore.
“Feeding a child at school is such a simple thing – but it works miracles.” Drew Barrymore
“When we work to end childhood hunger, we are giving our love to kids who need it so much they will never ask for it.” Beau Bridges
“Hunger makes a thief of any man.” Pearl Buck
“There is no finer investment for any community than putting milk into babies.” Sir Winston Churchill
The donation needed this month is any kind of canned beans –baked beans, pork & beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, etc. Just fill the back counter in the church kitchen.
Thanks for all you do to help hungry children! YOUR help is greatly appreciated!