Heritage Baptist will once again be working with Georgetown East Elementary and Mills/Parole Elementary on Backpack Buddies, a mission program that provides easy-to-open, ready-to-eat food for children in need.  Read on for more details on how you can take part.

BACKPACK BUDDIES RETURN!

  Again this school year we will be working with Georgetown East Elementary and Mills/Parole Elementary with Backpack Buddies.  We provide easy to open, ready to eat or microwavable food for children the schools feel would most benefit from extra food on weekends and brief school holidays.  We ended 2010/2011 school year serving 46 children.  Because the demographics and needs of the school are similar, the Backpack Buddies Team feels with your support we should increase the number to 50, providing for 25 children in each school.  Your support is vital to the success.

  If you can continue volunteering to pack and/or deliver or are interested in learning more about the program, please contact the church office or speak with Frankie Morehead, Jeannine Salyers, or Mary Ann Fulford.  The delivery of the food needs to be during school hours and generally the packing is done in the morning.  However, if you are interested in participating but are only available in the evening, please let one of the Team members know.  If there is enough interest, a group can be organized for early evenings.  Also, families could volunteer for an evening which would involve the children as well as parents.  Packing takes about 1 ½ hours and the delivery about 45 minutes.  Generally, these are done on separate days.  There is flexibility in the schedule and with enough volunteers, each person is directly involved only once a month.

  We continue to encourage both monetary and food donations.  The “Donation Bucket” is now in the hallway just outside the church office.  If making a monetary donation, please make the check to Heritage Baptist Church for Backpack Buddies.  It is helpful if you also write “Backpack Buddies” on the outside of the envelope.  Suggested food items are below.  Thank you for continuing to support this mission project for our community.

Suggested Food Items

  Individual bowls or boxes of cereal; oatmeal packages; breakfast bars; small cans of pasta and sauce; packages/cans of tuna and/or chicken; Easy Mac and Cheese (individual servings); sleeves of crackers (Saltines, Ritz, Graham); individual packages of fruit, gelatin, applesauce, pudding; microwavable soups; cans of Vienna sausage; individual packages of cheese or peanut butter filled crackers; boxes of juice; popcorn; snacks; any other items in individual packages which meet the requirements for “easy or no preparation before eating.”  Please be sure to check the expiration dates and no glass containers.