Blessings in a Backpack.

The vision at Blessings in a Backpack is for every school-aged child in America to have the nourishment needed to learn and grow. As a leader in the movement to end childhood hunger, Blessings in a Backpack strives to ensure children do not go hungry on the weekends by empowering individuals and communities to take action.

There are more than 11 million children in this country who are at risk of hunger. The consequences of hunger are much more than a growling stomach. Poor nutrition can result in a weaker immune system, increased hospitalization, lower IQ, shorter attention spans, and lower academic achievement. Children are fed during the school week by federal government programs, but we want to make sure they’re getting nutritional meals over the weekend, too.

Blessings in a Backpack is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization currently feeding over 87,000 children in 1,092 schools in 45 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

how PVC is involved

For many years, Ponte Vedra Church served as a donation and bagging site. Once a week, concurrent with the school year, volunteers met to fill bags with simple, easy to prepare, nutritious food. These bags were then delivered and distributed to children who receive free or reduced lunch at SIX area schools.

As the school year begins, the Blessings in a Backpack Ministry faces concerns over the handling, packing and delivery of food and bags. Additionally, due to unemployment and financial concerns affecting so many families this school year, we anticipate a higher number of children in need of weekend food. Until we can safely gather to pack backpacks for the children we support, we will provide prepackaged food bags through Sysco foods. Please pray for the schools, students, families and teachers as they begin the school year in these uncertain times.

Currently, the best way to help is to make a monetary donation, marked for Blessings in a Backpack. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].