By LOIS KINDLE
South Shore United Methodist Church’s Backpacks on a Mission has changed, but after 13 years it’s still making a difference.
The program provides nutritious, easy-to-prepare food for children in need to take home for the weekend. It initially served a few dozen students at Summerfield Crossings Elementary School and has since expanded to include about a 150 students at six additional elementary schools: Apollo Beach, Collins, Corr, Dawson, Doby and Summerfield.
Once delivered in backpacks, the distribution method was changed in 2021 due to counselor concerns about cross-contamination during the pandemic.
Backpacks on a Mission volunteers Carren Hart and Bill Johnson stuff bags with food for local schoolchildren in need. Each bag includes two breakfast, two lunch and two dinner items, plus a snack.
“We started using nonreturnable, T-shirt bags, which we buy in boxes of 1,000 from Sam’s Club in Riverview,” said Connie Bishop, Backpacks on a Mission coordinator since 2014. “Our packing group volunteers fill them with two breakfast items, two lunch items, two dinner entrees and one snack.”
These items have been set on school-designated tables by a different team of volunteers who sort them, based on the number of kids in each school.
Every month there’s a new menu of items the group uses to stuff the bags.
Once loaded with food, the bags are delivered to the schools by yet another group of volunteers every Wednesday during the school year. Counselors are responsible for getting them to students who qualified for the program.
Mark Johnson, of the FLM Foundation LLC, delivers food purchased from it by the Backpacks on a Mission program at South Shore United Methodist Church.
“We are acutely aware of students with allergies,” said Bishop. “The counselors and social workers identify the kids with allergies, and we post their names on their bags to ensure each one gets the right foods.”
This major community effort supports food security for the kids involved. It’s not without cost. This year’s food costs are $31,000.
Backpacks on a Mission is funded through grants, food drives, individual donations and congregational giving.
Larger funding sources include The Florida Medical Center Foundation of Caring, Interfaith Council of Sun City Center, Apollo Beach Woman’s Club and the General Conference of the United Methodist Church.
The program receives no direct funding from the church, which provides free rent, utilities and a storage area.
“Backpacks on a Mission is important to South Shore United Methodist Church as it enables us to fulfill our God-given mission of being externally focused in service,” said The Rev. Sarah B. Miller, senior pastor. “Through this outreach ministry, our church joins the critical and timely justice work of providing food security for at-risk elementary-age students in seven partner schools in southern Hillsborough County. We believe full stomachs pave the way for hearts full of hope and minds full of potential and remain deeply committed to this work.”
For more information, visit www.southshoreumc.com/local missions/. To make a donation or volunteer, email Bishop at backpacks@southshoreumc.com/.
Backpacks on a Mission volunteers Carren Hart and Bill Johnson stuff bags with food for local schoolchildren in need. Each bag includes two breakfast, two lunch and two dinner items, plus a snack.
A new add-on
Through $25,000 in funding from the Thomas A. Plein Foundation, Backpacks on a Mission has partnered with the Scholastics Literacy Program to provide books in addition to food to schoolchildren with socioeconomic needs. Pre-K children at the seven schools served who don’t have their own books will also receive them. In its initial week of May 19, a total of 436 books are being delivered.
“Through our research, we found children who have food insecurity also have health and academic deficits,” Bishop said.
That’s why we applied for the grant.
“To me, it’s important to provide for kids who are in need,” she continued. “I love how we’re helping them have food in their tummies and books for their academic progress. It’s so rewarding. It makes my heart sing.”