Each week in Greenville county over 40,000 students receive free or reduced breakfast and lunch at their schools.  Sadly, for many of these students these are their only meals of the day and during the weekend they may have little, or nothing, to eat again until they return to school on Monday.  As a result, a problem like this can affect their health and school attendance as well the students’ ability to perform well and concentrate in the classroom.

Beginning this Fall, Advent will have the opportunity to help some of those students with a new mission called Backpack Blessings.  This is a very simple mission that will greatly affect the lives of the students.  Results from programs like this around the country have shown an increase in test scores and overall performance in the classroom.  We will work directly with school counselors who will chose the students they feel are in need of assistance.  Each Wednesday, during Wednesday Night Live, our Youth students will pack the bags of food which will be delivered to the schools on Thursday.  On Friday, the counselors will place the bags of food in the students’ backpacks.

So how can you help ?? First, is a monetary donation.  The cost to feed a child is approximately $6 per weekend.  So for the cost of one kid’s meal at a restaurant you can feed a hungry child for an entire weekend.  For approx. $25 dollars you can feed a child for one month and for only $220 you could ensure a child has something nourishing to eat every weekend for an entire school year!!  Another way to help is with food donations.  To the left, is a list of the needed items for this program.  Keep this list with you whenever you are shopping and watch for specials or “BOGO‘s” of these items so you can help keep our pantry stocked.  With your help and generosity we can help these children in need.