According to the latest estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nearly 14 million children were facing hunger in the U.S. in 2023.18% of households with children could not afford to buy enough food for theirfamilies. Madisonville First United Methodist Church is working to make sure no children are hungry in their community.
Studentsin local schools were going home each weekend and did not have enough to eat.Madisonville recognized the need and felt God’s call to create a new ministryto meet the needs that kids in the Madisonville area had. Backpack Blessingsbegan in earnest to make sure no kids went hungry over the weekend. EveryFriday, students who have signed up for the program receive their bag of foodto take home over the weekend. Now, the program serves 84 kids across threeschools; two elementary schools and one middle school.
"We have found that we have been blessed through the Backpack Blessings program. It has strengthened our relationship with the local schools we partner with and allowed us to build a trusting partnership that has extended into an after-school program and other outreach into the schools,”said Rev. Loletuth Kalz, Co-Lead Pastor at Madisonville First. “We know that we are directly impacting the quality of life of children and youth by providing food to food insecure homes and pray this has a lasting effect on thewell-being of children in our community."
BackpackBlessings is just one way that Madisonville First is being the hands and feetof Jesus Christ. What a shining example of Christ’s love for us!
