For some children, school breakfasts and lunches are their most reliable source of meals, so when the weekend comes around they may go hungry. These are the kids Rejoice Lutheran Church in Clearwater aims to help with their Weekend Food Backpack Program.

 

Coordinator Susan Chwalek had heard of other organizations with programs in place to provide needy children with food on the weekends, and wanted to begin one in the Clearwater and Clear Lake area. 

 

“I’m an educator so I know there’s a need for it, probably in every school,” she said. “So it was something I wanted to get going here at Rejoice.”

 

Planning for the new program began last spring. Knowing they had needy children attending their school, Clearview Elementary was excited to be part of the new venture, and identified families who would most benefit.

 

Money was raised through Thrivent Action Team funds, a generous donation from the Clearwater Lions, and a “noisy offering” at Rejoice last August. (A noisy offering is when coins are collected during worship service, making a lot of noise as they’re dropped into the collection containers.)

 

A relationship was also developed with the Clearwater/Clear Lake Area Food Shelf to help support the program.

 

The Weekend Food Backpack Program officially began in October. Every Wednesday evening, Rejoice confirmation students take turns packing the backpacks full of food. 

 

“We have a shelf stocked with different kinds of foods for breakfast, snacks and dinner that lasts them through the weekend,” explained confirmation student Kailey Peterson. “We have a diagram to follow to pack the backpacks based on how many children they have.”

 

“It’s really fun because you’re helping another family out who doesn’t have food,” said confirmation student Lexi Fruth.

 

Working with the backpack program not only helps them with the volunteer hours they need for confirmation, it gives them a perspective on life outside their own.

 

“Before this they didn’t realize not everyone has snacks and a hot lunch every day,” said confirmation leader Tammy Totz. “They’ve always had these things available to them.”

 

A church member brings the filled backpacks to Clearview, and students receiving them pick up their backpack on Fridays to take home for the weekend. The empty backpacks are returned to Clearview the following Monday, brought back to Rejoice, and the cycle begins again.

 

“Through this program kids have snacks, breakfast and lunch for the weekends when school lunch isn’t available,” said Chwalek. 

 

The Weekend Food Backpack Program currently serves 16 children in four families. Chwalek said they hope to increase the number of children served this fall when the new school year begins.