You may remember reading about Blessings in a Backpack in past issues of Elegant Island Living. This national not-for-profit organization provides weekend food to more than 78,000 elementary school children on free and reduced lunch programs in 800 schools throughout the U.S. For many children, while their nutritional needs are met during the school day, food is not available at home on the weekends. The local branch was serving approximately 500 students at Altama Elementary school and has been the beneficiary of proceeds raised from the annual Wiffle Ball Challenge held by the sponsoring Davis Love Foundation and PGA Tour Wives Association in connection with the RSM Classic (formerly McGladrey Classic).
e BIAB crew delivering bags to Goodyear Elementary School – their favorite part of the process!
Last year, a dynamic force arrived in the Golden Isles in the form of a blonde from Oklahoma named Mary Catherine Moon-Sexton. Unaware of the Altama program, and already familiar with the national Blessings in a Backpack organization, she learned of the incredible need locally and, together with Jennifer Meyers and some other friends, set about providing the weekend food program to as many children as they could reach. She began a GoFundMe campaign and started organizing packing parties. Friends volunteered and shared the need to raise awareness. With just those efforts, they were able to provide weekend food to 50 students at Goodyear Elementary last year, and in March were able to increase that number to 75 students. With the aid of the national organization, Blessings in a Backpack Glynn County, was born.
A recent Blessings in a Backpack packing party hosted by Tallie Pipkin and her mother-in-law, Judy Saalfield.
Developments earlier this year have led to Mary Catherine and Blessings in a Backpack Glynn County now taking over the program at Altama Elementary school and also now handing services that were once provided at Burroughs-Molette. Mary Catherine estimates that there are approximately 2,700 students on the free and reduced lunch program in Glynn County who are currently in need of weekend nutritional support. She states firmly, and with a smile, “We want to expand to reach ALL of the kids who need it." Jennifer adds, "And realistically, although that seems huge, we CAN!” They stress that it only takes $100 to feed one child for the entire year. It’s as simple as that. You can make a donation of $100 one time and that is one more child who doesn’t have to go hungry on weekends. That’s a pretty impressive impact with tangible results that are reported by teachers and counselors: improved behavior in school, better grades, increased span of attention, etc.
Mary Catherine and Jennifer have many more helping hands than can be named and are avidly spreading the word about the expanded services that they are providing and the huge need that still exists. Friends, fellow congregation members, and school parents, are joining them to help raise donations, collect food, and arrange packing parties, in private homes, in conjunction with church groups, vacation bible school, organizations like the Girl Scouts and Girls on the Run. They’re trying to get as many bags packed as possible to be ready for the school year and it’s inspiring to see the community rallying behind them. If you want to throw a packing party as a girls’ night, or as part of a project for a community organization or business, your assistance is always welcome!
Even local civic organizations like the Girl Scouts, Girls on the Run, and vacation bible school classes have helped with packing bags.
While non-perishable food donations are helpful to them, Mary Catherine says, monetary donations go much further. With money donated, Blessings in a Backpack can purchase food from sources like Second Harvest at a significantly reduced cost that isn’t available to the average consumer. The amount of food they can get for their money is amazing, and allows them to fill more bags. And $100 to feed a child during the weekend for an entire year—isn’t that more rewarding than a few months of double shot hazelnut cappuccinos at Starbucks?
The other pressing need right now for the organization, Mary Catherine shares, is a ground-floor climate controlled storage area where they can keep the food, receive deliveries, and pack on site. The space they are currently using, generously donated by Crabdaddy’s, is upstairs and they’re rapidly running out of room. If you have a unused storage facility or empty warehouse space somewhere locally, you too might be able to contribute.
Non-perishable food ready to be packed
Teachers and counselors at the schools tell the Blessings in a Backpack volunteers that the kids are so excited on Fridays when they get the food packed for them that they can’t wait to see what’s inside and show their friends too. It’s not an embarrassment, but a source of joy. Joy can be seen on the faces of kids who are collecting donations for the program and packing those same bags as volunteers—the joy of giving.
Carina Taylor, a mother of children receiving food through Blessings in a Backpack of Glynn wrote this to the volunteers:
“As a single parent who has two jobs, I understand what it means to appreciate every gift that I have been blessed with, and your program is definitely a gift to me and my children. As a mother of four, it’s hard to provide food, but since we were able to be a part of your program, it has been an enormous help. I really want to thank you for everything and I hope you’re able to bless more families.”
Elegant Island Living has been spreading the word about Blessings in a Backpack for more than a few years now and has helped host events that benefit the program. We invite you to join us in supporting this organization through your own donations and volunteer efforts or by attending this year’s Wiffle Ball Challenge at the RSM Classic where we’ll be planning some special activities. Stay tuned!
For more information about Blessings in a Backpack of Glynn County, visit www.feedingourfutureglynn.org.
