Power Packs Update Jan. 2019

JANUARY 2019 – Update

Last February, the Outreach Team at St. Luke and the missions team at Mt. Pleasant UB church became partners in a joint venture to feed hungry children in local elementary schools. The Power Packs program provides students, identified by the guidance counselor as needy, with breakfast, lunch, fruit, snacks, and drinks on the weekends. These children receive free or reduced cost breakfast and lunch during the school week, but may not have guaranteed access to food on Saturday or Sunday or during long school breaks. The bags of food sent home with them on Friday afternoon help fill that gap. Currently we are at 68 bags per week, 23 at Fayetteville Elementary, and 45 at Scotland Elementary. We anticipate adding between 10 and 20 more as soon as Guilford Hills lets us know their need.

Collaborating with Mt. Pleasant has allowed both churches to share the cost and the labor of purchasing the food, packing the bags, and delivering them to the schools. We will continue to maintain the schedule we started last year, to provide for the schools every other month. St. Luke had October and December in 2018. We will support students in February ,April, and September in 2019. One big difference is that beginning in February, we will be set up to administer everything from St. Luke when it is our month. We are so thankful and appreciative for the warmth and consideration shown to us by Mt. Pleasant since the beginning of Power Packs. However, their space is limited, and as our numbers grew, it was time to have our own space. Thanks to church council for agreeing and providing the space. Thanks to all of you who have donated money and food items for the designated months. Please continue that support. For February, the focus will be fruit cups, oatmeal packets, cans of kid friendly soup, and rice krispie bars, but anything else on the list is always welcome. The average cost for each child per weekend is about $5.00.

God bless these children as they begin a new year. May they be nurtured by the food provided and the love with which it is given. Help them to grow in body and mind to become the best they can be. Amen.

Cheryl Vorhauer, Outreach Team Member, Power Packs Coordinator