I just wanted to write you about the backpack ministry that my family has started. My wife has always had a heart for children and she went to thelocal schools in Yucaipa to see if there were any needs. She found out thatat one of the local elementary schools 75% of the students were on free or reduced cost lunch programs. She then went to the district office and found out that 42% of the school population was on free or reduced cost food program. She also found out that the Yucaipa/Calimesa School District has about 400 children in it that were considered "homeless". The students on the program were able to eat breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday (at school) but did not have any food on the weekend. Our family decided to put together a backpack food program in Yucaipa. We went to several of the local churches to ask for their support. The kids are given backpacks full of food on Friday to take home for the weekend. The kids empty the backpack during the weekend and then bring it back on Monday. Volunteers collect the backpacks and then they are filled at one of the local churches on Friday just to behanded back over to the kids at school. The different churches' members have donated the food on the 1st Sunday of each month to fill the backpacks for the month. We have been able to provide 40 backpacks a week to the local schools for about the last 3 months. I hope God uses this to inspire others to be Christ's hands and feet around them...Make your own mission!
