Dear Editor, Harry's Blessings in a Backpack - we provide food for elementary students in the Bristow area and community each week during the school year. Food for the weekend because many of our students are food insecure. Have you ever been hungry but had no money or resources to access food? Well, this is the plight of 79% of our Bristow school children for the weekends. These students can receive free or reduced price breakfasts and lunches while in school, but all too often do not have enough food over the weekends. This is truly heartbreaking. In 2006 Harry McMillan read about the Food 4 Kids program that was cropping up all over the United State. At Harry's suggestion, Harry's Blessings in a Backpack was started. This program provides packs of food for students who need food for the weekends. It started out with 34 students, now we provide 167 sacks of food each week during the school year. Bristow school counselors work with parents and the 167 students receive the sacks of food on Fridays to put in their backpacks.
Each food sack costs approximately $7-$8 each week to fill, as we know the cost of food is rising. Our Blessings in the Backpack fund is running low. We need approximately $4000/month to fund this, or $36,000 for a school year to provide these sacks to approximately 167 students. Please continue a donation to the Backpack program so that we do not have to discontinue this at some point later this year. The Bristow Presbyterian Church organizes this program, but churches all over the community help weekly to fund, provide packers for the sacks and distribution.
The greatest thing that has happened is that the Backpack Program has become a community project, and has been financed by multiple Church donations and efforts, individuals, organizations and local businesses and families. What a blessing this has been and how thankful we are that so many caring and loving people have also seen the need and have contributed generously with their time, effort and funds. GodBlessyouall! We carry on this program in honor and memory of many of our loved ones that coordinated it, Patty Boerstler, Harry McMillan, Myra Fadely, Lois McMillan and Myra Kemp.
Every Thursday during the school year a wonderful group of volunteers meet at the Bristow Presbyterian Church to pack and deliver the bags to the elementary schools. This group is composed of volunteers from several different churches in Bristow and surrounding areas. This is indeed a community project,and we love doing it! If you would ever like to join us, we would welcome you to come on Thursday mornings at 9:30 AM. When we finish packing, we have fellowship, coffee, devotional and conversation!
Jesus told us many times in the Bible that we are to feed the hungry and that is what we strive to do. The problem is that if the funds run out, then we cannot continue. So, I'm asking you to search your hearts, and if you feel moved to help us out, we would be so grateful. You may make your checks out tot he Bristow Presbyterian Church with a memo note that this is for the Harry's blessings in the Backpack Fund. You can either mail your gift to the church at PO Box 805, Bristow, OK 74010 or bring it to the church located at 200 W. 6th Street, Bristow, OK 74010.
Thank you for listening , and God bless you all, words paraphrased from Myra Fadely!
In God's loving care, Marilyn Darrough, Director of Harry's Blessings in a Backpack and all of the Backpack Volunteers